At least 41 health systems announced changes to leadership ranks and administration teams in 2023.
The changes come as hospitals continue to grapple with industry challenges, leading some organizations to cut jobs and implement other operational or C-suite adjustments.
The following changes were announced this year and are summarized below, with links to more comprehensive coverage of the changes.
Note: This list was updated Nov. 21. It is not exhaustive.
1. St. Louis-based Ascension has named presidents for three of its 17 hospitals in Wisconsin. The appointments are part of Ascension Wisconsin's plans to "transform its operational framework by concentrating leadership resources at the local level to enable increased focus on clinical quality, staffing and support of caregivers and associates," the health system said in a Nov. 17 news release shared with Becker's.
2. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist said several leadership transitions are in the works at some of its community hospitals as it is developing a new, streamlined leadership model across the facilities. As part of the restructuring, Chad Brown will serve as president of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's South and West areas; Cathleen Wheatley will have executive oversight over Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Davie Medical Center in Bermuda Run, N.C.; and Bill James, who became president of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Lexington (N.C.) Medical Center in 2014, will step down from the position.
3. The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston is reorganizing its executive leadership team as part of restructuring across the university. As part of the changes, UTMB President Jochen Reiser, MD, PhD, is now also CEO of the UTMB Health System, and Wayne Keathley, who previously served as president and COO of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, is now the acting COO of the UTMB Health System. Additionally, the leadership restructuring includes various other changes in UTMB's clinical enterprise, as well as various appointments in support of UTMB's new innovation mission.
4. Four NorthShore-Edward-Elmhurst Health hospitals in the Chicago area will have new presidents next year, three of them women. The changes are part of a new leadership structure for the organization's hospitals in Evanston, Glenbrook, Highland Park and Skokie, and for its integrated medical group.
5. Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health announced a new dyad leadership structure in which market presidents and chief medical officers will jointly be responsible for five consumer-based markets. The structure aims to provide greater patient access through expanded service options and settings and further elevate clinical excellence and expertise, the health system said in a news release. It also aims to enable physician and administrative leaders to partner in decision-making and leading operations.
6. Corewell Health East, part of Corewell Health, which has dual headquarters in Grand Rapids and Southfield, Mich., is letting go of three leaders as it makes various leadership changes to improve the region. Several leaders will take on permanent new roles. Others, including Darryl Elmouchi, MD, interim president of Corewell Health East, will serve in an interim capacity during searches for permanent leaders. Several leaders will also depart Corewell Health.
7. The chief executives of two Providence hospitals in California will be leaving their roles as part of a restructuring to streamline executive roles. Terry Wooten will leave his role as chief executive of Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, Calif., and Chuck Kassis will leave his role as chief executive of Santa Rosa (Calif.) Memorial Hospital, effective in November, according to Renton, Wash.-based Providence. Mr. Wooten has served in his role since July 2021, and Mr. Kassis has served in his role since January 2022.
8. Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital is appointing executives to new titles and roles as the organization readies its next strategic plan. Steve Short was named executive vice president and market president of TGH North, including the Bravera Health facilities Tampa General acquired. The two former CEOs of the local hospitals will become senior vice presidents of the system and presidents of their hospitals. Eight executives will assume new titles and reporting structures, with responsibilities broadening to extend across the organization, including all TGH North facilities, and nine other executives will retain their titles but have broadened responsibilities.
9. St. Louis-based Mercy created a new regional presidency to guide its recent efforts in Southeastern Missouri. Given the organization's growing footprint in the area, Eric Ammons will become the regional president for Mercy in the Southeast, according to an Oct. 5 news release from the health system. Mr. Ammons has spent the past decade as president of Mercy's Jefferson communities. Dan Eckenfels, Mercy Jefferson's vice president of finance and chief administrative officer, will succeed Mr. Ammons.
10. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health laid off 160 of its 36,000 employees as part of an "organizational redesign plan." The layoffs primarily affected management and administrative positions, a Novant spokesperson confirmed to Becker's on Oct. 5.
11. Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Health named Peter Weir, MD, its inaugural chief population health officer. The creation of the role is part of a "renewed institutional focus on the future of advancing health in our communities," according to an Oct. 6 news release from the organization.
12. Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare split its hospitals into divisions and created new leadership roles to oversee them. The goal with the new structure is to improve system alignment and create a more seamless patient experience, according to an Oct. 5 news release shared with Becker's.
13. Jason Hawkins will serve in a combined role as chief administrative officer of two PeaceHealth campuses. Mr. Hawkins was named chief administrative officer of PeaceHealth Cottage Grove (Ore.) Community Medical Center, effective Nov. 1. He will also remain chief administrative officer of PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center in Florence, Ore., and will oversee operations at both campuses.
14. Peter Paige, MD, was named UVA Health's inaugural chief clinical officer, the Charlottesville, Va.-based health system said Sept. 29. Dr. Paige will oversee clinical operations and care quality across the health system.
15. Neenah, Wis.-based ThedaCare is dividing financial and operational responsibilities formerly held by one Mark Thompson. Mr. Thompson has been serving the health system as COO and CFO. In April, ThedaCare announced that it would merge with Milwaukee-based Froedtert Health, and Mr. Thompson would become chief transformation investment officer of the new combined system. Two leaders are taking Mr. Thompson's place.
16. Shelly Anderson was named Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's inaugural hospital president. Ms. Anderson joined the New York City-based institution on Sept. 25. She oversees operations of Memorial Hospital and focuses on ensuring seamless cancer care coordination across Memorial Sloan Kettering's expanding outpatient network, according to a news release.
17. Saint Luke's Health System, a 14-hospital organization based in Kansas City, Mo., said it plans to go from four regions to three, which will result in some changes to leadership roles. Under the new plan, Saint Luke's will consolidate hospitals and facilities in its North and Critical Access regions into a single region. Saint Luke's will now operate as three regions: Central Region, South and East Region, and North and Critical Access Region.
18. SSM Health, a 23-hospital health system based in St. Louis, is rolling out a leadership structure that further integrates operations across seven regional hospitals in Wisconsin. The new structure includes two regional vice presidents for acute care and a regional vice president role on the ambulatory side.
19. Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University, which is integrated with Jefferson Health, selected a new medical school dean, continuing a revamp of top management at the organization. Said Ibrahim, MD, was named dean of Thomas Jefferson University's Sidney Kimmel Medical College. Dr. Ibrahim, who will begin his new role in December, will also serve as president of Jefferson University Physicians.
20. The Hawaii State Hospital, a publicly funded, state psychiatric hospital in Kaneohe, fired three top-level managers. In August, Kenneth Luke, the hospital's acting administrator, told staff that Associate Administrator Bimmie Strausser, MD, Director of Nursing Lani Tsuneishi, MSN, and Operations Administrator Anthony Fraiola were no longer with the hospital and that the hospital is restructuring its senior leadership team.
21. Kettering (Ohio) Health made various leadership moves after new CEO Michael Gentry took the helm, the Dayton Daily News reported Aug. 16. Among the changes: Brenda Kuhn, PhD, RN, who previously held chief quality officer and chief nursing officer roles at the health system, was named interim president of Kettering Health Dayton (Ohio), according to the report. Read more about the changes here.
22. Springfield, Ill.-based Memorial Health is laying off hundreds of employees, including 20 percent of leadership positions. Affected employees represent 5 percent of Memorial's total salary and benefits, according to a statement provided to Becker's. The cuts focused on system leadership, administrative and support sectors.
23. Lewes, Del.-based Beebe Healthcare eliminated the position of executive vice president and COO Rick Schaffner, RN, who had served in the role since 2015.
24. Allina Health began layoffs affecting about 350 team members throughout the Minneapolis-based organization. The health system said the layoffs began July 17 and that most of the affected jobs are leadership and non-direct caregiving roles.
25. Middletown, N.Y.-based Garnet Health laid off 49 employees, including 25 leaders, to offset recent operating losses. The reductions represent 1.13 percent of the organization's total workforce and $13 million in salaries and benefits.
26. Greensburg, Pa.-based Independence Health System laid off 53 employees and cut 226 positions — including resignations, retirements and elimination of vacant positions — since January. The 226 reductions began at the executive level, with 13 manager positions terminated in March.
27. Coral Gables-based Baptist Health South Florida offered its executives at the director level and above a "one-time opportunity" to apply for voluntary separation.
28. MultiCare Health System, a 12-hospital organization based in Tacoma, Wash., will lay off 229 employees, or about 1 percent of its 23,000 staff members, including about two dozen leaders, as part of cost-cutting efforts, the health system said June 29.
29. Seattle Children's announced it would eliminate 135 leader roles. The management restructuring and reduction affects 1.5 percent of employees across the organization.
30. Bonnie Panlasigui was tapped as the first president of Summa Health System Hospitals.This new role was unveiled in October 2022 as the Akron, Ohio-based system made 10 changes to its executive team: reshuffling three leaders' roles, adding three positions and eliminating four.
31. Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network named two new regional and hospital presidents. Bob Begliomini, PharmD, was appointed president of Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest campus in Allentown, according to a news release shared with Becker's. He will also lead the health system's Lehigh region, which includes four hospital campuses. Jim Miller, CRNA, was selected to replace Mr. Begliomini as president of the Muhlenberg hospital. He was also named president of the health system's Northampton region, which includes three hospitals, Muhlenberg being one of them.
32. McLaren St. Luke's Hospital in Maumee, Ohio, will lay off 743 workers, including 239 registered nurses, when it permanently closes this spring. Other affected roles include physical therapists, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, pharmacists and pharmacy support staff, and nursing assistants. The hospital's COO is also affected, and a spokesperson for McLaren Health Care told Becker's other senior leadership roles are also affected.
33. Habersham Medical Center in Demorest, Ga., laid off four executives. The layoffs were part of cost-cutting measures before the hospital joined Gainesville-based Northeast Georgia Health System.
34. Grand Forks, N.D.-based Altru Health announced it would trim its executive team as its new hospital project moves forward. The health system planned to trim its executive team from nine to six and incentivize 34 other employees to take early retirement.
35. Scripps Health eliminated 70 administrative roles, according to WARN documents filed by the San Diego-based health system in March. The layoffs took effect May 8 and affect corporate positions in San Diego and La Jolla, Calif.
36. Columbia-based University of Missouri Health Care announced it would eliminate five hospital leadership positions across the organization. According to MU Health Care, the move is a result of restructuring "to better support patients and the future healthcare needs of Missourians."
37. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health laid off about 50 workers, including C-level executives, the health system confirmed to Becker's on March 29. The layoffs affected Jesse Cureton, the health system's executive vice president and chief consumer officer since 2013; Angela Yochem, its executive vice president and chief transformation and digital officer since 2020; and Paula Dean Kranz, vice president of innovation enablement and executive director of the Novant Health Innovation Labs.
38. Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine announced that it would eliminate administrative positions. The change is part of a reorganization plan to save the health system $40 million annually, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported March 13. Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, told Penn Medicine's 49,000 employees changes include the elimination of a "small number of administrative positions which no longer align with our key objectives," according to the publication.
39. Sovah Health, part of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Lifepoint Health, eliminated the COO positions at its Danville and Martinsville, Va., campuses. The responsibilities of both COO roles are now spread across members of the existing administrative team.
40. Valley Health, a six-hospital health system based in Winchester, Va., eliminated 31 administrative positions. The job cuts are part of the consolidation of the organization's leadership team and administrative roles. They were announced internally Feb. 28.
41. Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health announced it would transition from seven networks of care to five systemwide to reduce costs and strengthen operations. Under the reorganization, the health system will have separate networks for Northern California, Central California, Southern California, Oregon and Hawaii. The reorganization will result in job cuts, including reducing administration by more than $100 million.