Becker's Hospital Review

8 CEO / STRATEGY CEOs lean on balance, culture to retain leaders By Kristin Kuchno B etter work-life balance was selected as the most important factor in health systems' efforts to retain leaders, according to a May 26 Becker's LinkedIn poll. Of the 547 respondents, 38% pointed to better work-life balance, followed by improved workplace culture at 29%. e two people- centered levers outpaced the pay-related option: Higher compensation was the least-selected factor at 16%, trailing more growth opportunities at 18%. While Becker's has no insights into poll respondents' organizations or roles, health system CEOs who connected with Becker's said they are leaning on those two levers to retain and engage their leadership teams. e case for prioritizing balance starts with the pressure that leaders labor under. Every day, executives face the complex and dynamic challenges of the broader healthcare environment post-COVID — even more so now while living with the realities of HR 1, Mary Mannix, MSN, president and CEO of Fishersville, Va.-based Augusta Health, told Becker's. "To sustain our mission and advance the strategic goals of the health system, we must be a high-performing executive leadership team and lead with optimism," Ms. Mannix said. "at is a tall order amidst the chaos of the broader environment." Her answer is to build balance into the calendar. Augusta Health's senior executive team commits to three off-site retreat days each year, focused on team building and facilitated by an executive coach — an approach Ms. Mannix readily endorsed. "We find pearls of wisdom that can enhance our team effectiveness that we would not find if we hadn't intentionally made the decision to slow down on retreat day, communicate and challenge ourselves on working together more effectively," she said. Each day closes with the team having dinner together and socializing. It seems like a small gesture, she added, but it is grounding to do normal things together while navigating industry chaos. Other systems are also pulling on the culture lever. Winchester, Va.- based Valley Health has been on a deliberate culture journey to enhance the caregiver experience, grounded in listening and continuous improvement, President and CEO Mark Nantz told Becker's. ree years of ongoing feedback surveys produced concrete action, including a multidisciplinary caregiver well-being committee focused on the emotional, psychological and physical safety of staff. "is work has also expanded to dedicated physician well-being support and strengthened benefits that support caregivers and their families — such as enhanced fertility coverage and expanded paid family leave inclusive of all parents," Mr. Nantz said. At Visalia, Calif.-based Kaweah Health, Marc Mertz has served as CEO since only December but has already led a push to expand the system's culture of compassion and organizational pride, he told Becker's. "As a public community health system, our mission is personal," Mr. Mertz said. "We exist to care for our neighbors, our friends and our families. is is a massive responsibility, but it is an even greater privilege — one that our team takes pride in every day." n A sharp rise in CEO age: Study By Kristin Kuchno T he average age of newly appointed CEOs has increased sharply over the past few decades, according to an April 2026 research paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research. The cross-industry study used data from BoardEx, including 50,510 U.S. CEOs with available age data, alongside LinkedIn employment biographies. The paper does not break out findings by industry, including healthcare. Six things to know: 1. Between 2000 and 2023, the average age of CEOs at U.S. companies at the time of their appointment rose to 55, up from 47 to 48. 2. The average age of sitting U.S. CEOs increased by more than 10 years to 61 over the same time period, approximately five times the aging of the college-educated U.S. labor force. 3. The trend is concentrated outside the largest listed firms. Smaller and unlisted companies account for most of the increase in CEO age at appointment, while the largest firms in the sample show a more muted rise. 4. Today's CEOs accumulate roughly 10 more years of external experience before being appointed than their counterparts did in 2000, while internal experience at the appointing company has remained largely unchanged. Newer CEOs also tended to have held more positions, at more companies, across more industries — though for shorter stints than in the past. 5. The researchers ruled out several common explanations for the trend, including demographic shifts, longer educational paths, rising market concentration and CEO entrenchment. Shifts in the labor force age distribution accounted for only 1.9 years of the overall increase, and longer schooling added only about one year. 6. The authors attributed the trend to rising demand for generalist leadership skills as business environments have grown more uncertain and complex. Larger companies tend to develop generalists internally through diverse assignments, while smaller companies more often recruit externally, which helps explain why the aging trend is most pronounced among smaller firms, according to the paper. n

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