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3 C-suite roles in higher demand at health systems
By Kelly Gooch
H
ospitals and health systems need the
best possible talent in the C-suite as
they tackle a wide range of healthcare
issues. At the same time, they face challeng-
es in the labor market amid the stress of the
COVID-19 pandemic, as well as workforce
and financial challenges.
Take turnover with executives, for example:
AMN Healthcare has reported increased de-
partures across its C-suite.
"We are doing more searches, and [it] feels a
lot busier than a year ago, or especially two
years ago," said Todd Drometer, lead executive
partner in the firm's executive search practice.
"I hear all the time people retiring and organi-
zations trying to figure out what to do to re-
place those individuals. I've never seen a mar-
ket as crazy as this. It's a candidate's market."
He cited two factors contributing to the
turnover. He said some leaders reflected and
made the personal decision to retire and do
something different. Others delayed their
retirement during the pandemic and have
more recently decided the time is right.
Last year alone, there were 56 hospital CEO
retirements reported on by Becker's com-
pared to 37 in 2020.
"ere were some significant forces over these
last couple years, and what we saw in 2020
and 2021 were a lot of deferred/delayed retire-
ments across the board with C-suite leaders,"
said Paul Bohne, managing partner and prac-
tice leader in healthcare at recruitment search
firm WittKieffer. "Now what we've been seeing
over the last six months is a certain wave of
accelerated retirements because there are still
a lot of baby boomers occupying the C-suite.
ere are two waves that have contributed to
a significant demand for C-suite talent across
the board. It's because a lot of those retirements
that were delayed or deferred started advanc-
ing then you had another wave on top of it
which is acceleration of retirement because of
burnout. e last six months have seen an ex-
plosion of all levels of C-suite leaders and the
demand for talent across the C-suite."
is demand for talent includes some posi-
tions that have grown in popularity.
Becker's spoke with Mr. Drometer and Mr.
Bohne to understand some of the roles hospi-
tals and health systems are working to fill. Here
are three roles they identified as on the rise.
1. Chief wellness officer. One role showing
up more in searches is chief wellness officer,
according to Mr. Drometer.
"I never saw that as a true title until probably
two or three years ago. A lot of times the role
was more committee-driven internally and
having multiple people come to the table fo-
cused on burnout and wellness. But now it's
becoming a formal role," he said.
Mr. Bohne said he is seeing the expansion of the
wellness or well-being officer-level role, either as
an extension of the chief people officer role or as
a newly created role for a clinical leader.
Los Angeles-based Keck Medicine of USC,
for instance, appointed a chief mental health
and wellness officer in 2021, and Edison,
N.J.-based Hackensack Meridian Health ap-
pointed a chief wellness officer in 2020.
2. Chief value officer. Aside from wellness,
Mr. Drometer sees hospitals focusing on
managed care contracting, especially given
the financial effects of the pandemic. is
focus may manifest through the role of chief
value officer or chief managed care officer.
Karen Wilding began her role as chief value
officer of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Nemours
Children's Health on Jan. 24, and she told
Becker's she views her new job as a unique
opportunity in healthcare.
As chief value officer, Ms. Wilding leads the
network's value-based service organization,
which is focused on population health issues,
and oversees Nemours' integrated primary
care network in Wilmington, Del.
"e chief value officer role is really a recogni-
tion that the [healthcare] industry is changing
in such a profound way," Ms. Wilding said in
January. "We know that in healthcare, espe-
cially in light of COVID, that organizations
are now starting to really evaluate with inten-
tion how they're working on staff efficiency,
supporting their staff, improving care and out-
comes and also bending the cost curve."
3. Chief diversity officer. Over the last year,
hospitals and health systems have also hired
their first chiefs around diversity, equity and
inclusion. Among them are Burlington-based
University of Vermont Health Network,
York, Pa.-based WellSpan Health and Atlan-
ta-based Emory Healthcare, to name a few.
"We see still a very high percentage of health
systems we're working with where the di-
versity officer role is an inaugural role, so I
think healthcare compared to higher educa-
tion is still catching up along those lines," Mr.
Bohne said.
His other observation: Healthcare organiza-
tions are looking at candidates for these roles
from various industries.
"A lot of clients are agnostic and open to can-
didates coming from other complex service
industries for diversity officers," Mr. Bohne
said. "Supply does not meet the demand for
that talent. A lot of organizations are open." n
Anthem plans to change
name, rebrand
By Alia Paavola
A
nthem, which owns Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in 14 states, plans to
change its name to Elevance Health.
The company said the new name would better reflect the services it
offers beyond health insurance, such as digital, pharmacy, behavioral, clin-
ical and complex care services. Anthem also said the name change under-
scores its "commitment to elevating whole health and advancing health
beyond healthcare."
Anthem said its Blue Cross Blue Shield health plans' names will not change,
but it will narrow the number of name brands under its umbrella.
"Elevance Health represents who we are today," Anthem President and
CEO Gail Boudreaux said. "This is an exciting and necessary evolution for
our business."
The company will need shareholder approval to make the name change. The
vote is scheduled for May 18, according to The Wall Street Journal. n
