As Sarah Ness steps into her role as CEO of Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth, she brings more than two decades of institutional knowledge — and a clear vision of what success looks like under her leadership. Just as important is her commitment to bring caregivers along on that journey.
Ms. Ness has held multiple senior leadership roles within the organization, including executive vice president and chief administrative officer. On Jan. 3, following the retirement of longtime CEO Liz Dunne, she became the second female lay leader in PeaceHealth’s history.
The nonprofit Catholic system includes about 16,000 caregivers, nearly 3,200 physicians and clinicians, more than 160 clinics and nine medical centers across Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
In a conversation with Becker’s, Ms. Ness outlined her top priorities and what she believes will define PeaceHealth’s next chapter.
She noted that her first priority is deepening connections with caregivers, clinicians and community members. That includes visiting the communities PeaceHealth serves, sharing her vision, and listening to physicians, caregivers and residents about their priorities — and the barriers they face in delivering care.
“It’s essential to build trusted relationships,” Ms. Ness said. “PeaceHealth is large enough to leverage our scale, but small enough that we should know each other — have real conversations. As CEO, I believe it’s my responsibility and duty to model that.”
Her second priority is modernizing the system’s care delivery and services model. She said this means bringing hospitals, clinics and community-based services together around a shared purpose: delivering exceptional, holistic care to every individual PeaceHealth serves throughout their healthcare journey.
Her third priority is strengthening the system’s operational and financial health.
Like many health systems, PeaceHealth has faced ongoing headwinds. In fall 2025, the organization reduced its workforce by 2.5% — affecting primarily nonclinical and administrative shared services roles — citing broader efforts to modernize operations and adapt to a rapidly changing healthcare landscape.
This month, the organization shared plans to sell its South Campus property in Bellingham, Wash. — a former hospital campus now largely used for parking — as part of a broader strategy to to refocus resources on primary care and future service delivery.
“Our operational and financial health is absolutely essential if we want to continue our 135-year legacy,” Ms. Ness said. “We have established three pillars — being person-first, value-driven and highly trusted — and those are the pillars of our three-year strategic plan. If we can continue to strengthen our operational and financial health, then we’re able to reinvest in our people, in our technology and the tools that drive better patient experience, and help reinvest in our growing communities.”
She also emphasized PeaceHealth’s distinctive role in the region as a Catholic healthcare organization solely dedicated to the Pacific Northwest. “When we stay focused on these priorities, I know PeaceHealth will remain well positioned — not just for today, but well into the future.”
For Ms. Ness, being highly trusted begins with the organization’s caregivers. As she put it, “They are the heart of our mission, and the hands through which our care is delivered. When they feel supported, and when they’re included in how we’re addressing the challenges in healthcare today, we can begin to build an organization where caregivers want to come and want to stay.”
But she recognizes that creating this kind of environment requires sustained investment. PeaceHealth, for example, introduced Nurture360 — an ongoing commitment to employees’ whole-person well-being. The initiative addresses physical, spiritual, emotional, financial and social health through a range of integrated resources and services.
She noted that it’s also essential that PeaceHealth build trust through investment in programs that improve community health and “reflect a broader commitment to the common good.”
“That’s what will strengthen trust,” she added. “And trust isn’t automatic. It takes sustained, consistent effort — and we’re not leaving that to chance.”
Ms. Ness said PeaceHealth is also focused on expanding access — particularly in primary and specialty care. This includes transfer acceptance, fast-track clinic models, digital pathways — “anything that helps us provide timely care for our growing communities,” she said.
“That original mission — to care for those in need — remains as strong as ever,” Ms. Ness said. “In fact, I believe we’re only beginning to realize what this health system is capable of as we lean deeper into our communities. We’re getting more connected, regrounding ourselves in our purpose, and embracing the future with clarity and compassion. But it begins with access to high-quality care — especially for the most vulnerable.”
Asked where she sees the biggest cultural shift needed in health systems today, Ms. Ness pointed to the importance of becoming person-first — a core pillar of PeaceHealth’s strategic plan. That includes rethinking systems and structures to better align with patient expectations around access, transparency and ease.
“That means making sure our structures, processes and technologies meet people where they are — not just based on how the system was designed. We need to unpack how people actually interact with us and reshape the experience accordingly,” she said.
“Patient expectations have changed dramatically. They want timely information, transparency, and easier access to care.”
Internally, Ms. Ness said the leadership team often talks about “being on the path from good to great.” She described it as a rallying cry that reflects the system’s commitment to continuous improvement and better serving its communities.
“Delivering great medicine with humanity and dignity for all is how we’ll become the health system of choice in the Pacific Northwest,” she said.
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