Of all the C-suite roles where women gained ground in hospital and health system leadership last year, one moved faster than any other: the COO.
Women’s share of COO appointments tracked by Becker’s rose from 29.3% in 2025 to 50.9% in 2026 — the largest year-over-year swing of any role in an analysis of executive move reporting. The analysis compared appointments tracked in Becker’s women’s leadership roundups against its broader executive moves roundups for the period March 14 through Aug. 14 in both years. Women accounted for 40.5% of all leadership appointments in that 2026 window, up from 37.6% in 2025.
The COO role sits at the operational center of a health system — often responsible for execution, service line decisions, growth and the translation of strategic vision into daily results. As more women step into that seat, Becker’s asked three of them what they are focused on heading into 2027.
For Cassie Penn, COO of Callaway (Neb.) District Hospital and Medical Clinics, the priorities converge on two fundamentals: workforce and financial performance.
“We are focused on recruiting and retaining skilled employees, supporting professional development, and ensuring our teams have the training and resources they need to succeed,” Ms. Penn said. “At the same time, we are improving revenue-cycle processes and evaluating key service lines, provider partnerships, and capital needs. Together, these efforts will position our organization for financial stability, a strong and engaged workforce, and sustainable growth in 2027.”
Kimberly Reddish, PhD, MSN, RN, who serves as COO and chief nursing officer of Hattiesburg, Miss.-based Forrest Health, thinks in terms of system geography — specifically, how to extend ForrestHealth’s hub-and-spoke model to expand access without proportionally increasing cost.
Two priorities anchor that work, she said. The first is extending care beyond hospital walls.
“Growing home health, palliative care, virtual care, remote monitoring, and other alternative care models creates an opportunity to meet patients where they are and provide the right care, in the right setting, at the right time,” Dr. Reddish said. “By safely shifting appropriate care into the home and community, we can improve access across our region while simultaneously creating inpatient capacity — without relying solely on adding physical beds.”
The second is a deliberate approach to technology.
“Technology should not be implemented simply because it is available; it should solve a defined problem and produce a measurable result,” Dr. Reddish said. “We have an opportunity to use AI, automation, predictive analytics, and digital tools to extend our workforce, close care gaps, improve patient flow, identify capacity constraints, understand transfer and outmigration patterns, uncover revenue opportunities, and strengthen operational decision-making.”
Amanda Throgmorton, BSN, RN, regional COO of Marion-based Deaconess Illinois Medical Center, is focused on access in a specific context: rural Southern Illinois, where communities have long faced barriers to local healthcare.
“Many of the communities we serve face significant barriers to accessing healthcare close to home, and we are focused on strengthening local access points, growing clinical services and reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for essential care,” Ms. Throgmorton said.
A concrete example: restoring obstetrical services to a region that had effectively become an OB desert.
“Restoring local labor and delivery services has improved access for expectant mothers and families, reduced travel burdens during pregnancy, and strengthened the long-term health of the communities we serve,” Ms. Throgmorton said. “This effort reflects our broader commitment to ensuring rural patients can receive high-quality care where they live.”
Looking ahead, Ms. Throgmorton said recruitment remains central to sustaining those gains.
“As we look toward 2027, we are also focused on workforce stability, physician and advanced practice provider recruitment, and building sustainable service lines that allow rural hospitals and clinics to meet community needs for years to come.”
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