Becker’s has reported more than 160 hospital and health system CEO exits, including retirements and resignations, since Jan. 8. Of those exiting CEOs, roughly 60 left without announcing future plans.
CEO turnover has continued to outpace last year. Hospitals reported 74 CEO exits through the first half of 2026, up from 68 during the same period in 2025, according to a July 23 report from executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
The pace has held through late summer and early fall, with several of the country’s largest systems announcing year-end leadership changes. Some exits have come amid restructuring or financial turnarounds. Mike Dandorph stepped down Sept. 30 as president and CEO of Burlington, Mass.-based Tufts Medicine as the system entered the next phase of its financial turnaround. Greg Wozniak is no longer CEO of Meadowbrook, Pa.-based Redeemer Health, which saw its CEO and CFO exit amid a restructuring. Other high-profile departures have no stated next steps, including Gianrico Farrugia, MD, who plans to step down as president and CEO of Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic at the end of 2026.
Boards filling those seats are increasingly turning to insiders. A Becker’s analysis found 73% of permanent CEO appointments at large health systems between mid-March and late September went to executives already at the organization.
Here’s where the CEOs who shared next steps are headed:
1. Retirement. Retirement remains the single biggest driver of CEO turnover in 2026, with about 65 CEOs announcing plans to step away from the role entirely. A cluster of long-tenured leaders at large systems plan to retire at the end of 2026 or in mid-2027. David Callender, MD, plans to retire at the end of 2026 as president and CEO of Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System, and Robert Garrett, CEO of Edison, N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health, plans to retire June 30. Some retirements end careers spanning decades. Richard Yochum plans to retire April 30 as president and CEO of Pomona (Calif.) Valley Hospital Medical Center after nearly 50 years.
2. New systems, new regions. About 25 CEOs left to lead other hospitals or health systems, several moving into different regions or joining new parent organizations altogether. David Miller, MD, will exit his role as CEO of Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine in December to become president and CEO of Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Health, effective Jan. 1. Patrick Frias, MD, exited his role as co-president and CEO of Rady Children’s Health in Southern California to become CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
3. Executive chairman and board roles. Multiple CEOs stepped back from day-to-day leadership into executive chairman or board chair roles rather than leaving their organizations outright. Barry Arbuckle, PhD, stepped down July 1 as CEO of Fountain Valley, Calif.-based MemorialCare after 24 years to become the system’s executive chairman. Similarly, Rob Jay, CEO of Louisville, Ky.-based ScionHealth since its formation in 2021, stepped down to become executive chairman, and Michael Wagner, MD, plans to step down as president and CEO of Providence, R.I.-based Care New England to become chair of the system’s board of directors.
4. Different executive roles. Some departing CEOs moved into other operational or executive roles rather than another CEO seat. Anu Banerjee, PhD, exited his role as CEO of California Health Care Facility in Stockton and was named COO of Utica, N.Y.-based Mohawk Valley Health System. Joseph Marchant exited his role as CEO of Bibb Medical Center in Centreville, Ala., and was named executive vice president and chief integration and network development officer for Opelika-based East Alabama Health.
5. Moves outside hospital operations. A few departing CEOs left hospital operations altogether. Ashley Vertuno exited her role as CEO of HCA Florida JFK North Hospital in West Palm Beach, Fla., and was named CEO of the Arizona market at Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company. Thomas Quatroche Jr., PhD, exited his role as CEO of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Erie County Medical Center Corp. to become president and CEO of the Healthcare Association of New York State. William Calhoun, chief executive of Missoula-based Providence Montana, stepped down in April to pursue executive coaching.
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