Penny Wheeler, MD, will retire as CEO of Minneapolis-based Allina Health at the end of this year. The health system has named President and COO Lisa Shannon her successor.
Dr. Wheeler's career at Allina Health spans decades, a Sept. 9 announcement read. She served as a physician, president of the health system's Abbott Northwestern Hospital medical staff in Minneapolis, and CMO before becoming CEO in 2014. She was the system's first physician and woman to take on the role.
"Allina Health has enabled me to fulfill my purpose to improve the lives of others as both a physician and as a leader," Dr. Wheeler said. "Along the way, I have collected countless stories from those who I have been so privileged to meet. It is those stories that I will miss the most, but the timing is right for me to step away. I have tremendous gratitude and optimism for the future of Allina Health under Lisa Shannon's incredible leadership."
Ms. Shannon became president of Allina Health in 2020. She has held a variety of leadership roles throughout her career, including at OhioHealth in Columbus, Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Mich., and KentuckyOne Health in Louisville, according to the announcement.
"I am deeply honored to have been selected to lead Allina Health and am privileged to have been able to work alongside Penny Wheeler for the last four years," Ms. Shannon said. "She has been an exceptional leader, mentor and friend."