Despite the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency last year, the U.S. health care system has remained in a state of transition, requiring organizations to be light on their feet and find new ways to balance the demands of changing regulations, new medications, evolving technologies and swings in political environments.
To recognize this ongoing work, hospital and health system CEOs, federal officials, administrators, chief health officers and other health care executives were named to Modern Healthcare’s most recent annual list of the 100 most influential people in health care.
The honorees were nominated by their peers and voted on by readers and senior editors of Modern Healthcare, a widely read Chicago-based trade publication covering the health care industry.
The AMA is leading the charge to reform the Medicare payment system, so it should come as no surprise that Executive Vice President and CEO James L. Madara, MD, was named to the list for his role in advancing the AMA’s principles for Medicare reform. Also noted was Dr. Madara’s role in chairing the AMA subsidiary Health2047.
Dr. Madara announced at the 2024 AMA Annual Meeting that he will not seek to renew his contract when it expires this June and that he has turned his focus “to ensuring a smooth and effective transition to the next CEO.”
Also named to the Modern Healthcare list were leaders of organizations that are members of the AMA Health System Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine.
HCA Healthcare
Sam Hazen, CEO of HCA Healthcare, was among the Modern Healthcare honorees. He oversaw more than $5 billion in capital investments that the Nashville, Tennessee-headquartered organization made in the first three quarters of 2024 alone, which have helped support facilities affected by natural disasters. HCA Healthcare also made more than $100,000 in cash grants to staff members affected by the devastation of Hurricane Idalia.
Henry Ford Health
CEO Robert G. Riney was cited for his leadership in the Henry Ford Health plan to combine with Ascension Michigan and create a $10.5 billion system. Modern Healthcare also noted Henry Ford Health’s launch of a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan with Health Alliance Plan and implementation of a pay increase that helped cut nurse turnover by 12% at Henry Ford Hospital. Riney also served as co-chair of the 2024 Metro Detroit Heart and Stroke Walk, helping to raise more than $1.2 million for the American Heart Association.
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Rush University System for Health
Also landing on the list was Omar Lateef, CEO of Rush University System for Health. Lateef helped the Chicago-based organization further its long-standing commitment to health equity by serving patients from historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups. Under his leadership, since 2022, all four Rush hospitals have repeatedly received high marks from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for both quality and patient experience.
Sanford Health
CEO Bill Gassen has made the list several times. Under his leadership last year, Sanford Health—already the country’s largest rural health system—announced an agreement to merge with Wisconsin-based Marshfield Clinic Health System, a deal that will create a network of 56 hospitals across the Upper Midwest. Sanford Health also continued rollout of a $350 million initiative to improve care for rural and underserved communities.
Sutter Health
Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sacramento, California-headquartered Sutter Health, was recognized for his work in launching a nearly $1 billion ambulatory expansion plan, including 76 new care sites, as well as adding more than 160 new acute-care hospital beds. Thomas has also been a driving force behind:
- Sutter’s reshaped and reenergized mission, vision and values.
- New investments in career development.
- Growth in graduate medical education and overall expanded career pathways for physician and the broader workforce.
- New augmented-intelligence (AI) tools to ease administrative burdens on physicians and other health professionals.
As a result of these efforts and others, Sutter’s staff turnover dropped 23% in 2024.
Explore the full Modern Healthcare list of the 100 most influential people in health care.
