Here are 10 of the physicians named CEO of health systems, hospitals and physician groups this year:
1. Paari Gopalakrishnan, MD, was named president and CEO of Towson, Md.-based GBMC HealthCare, effective in September. Dr. Gopalakrishnan currently serves as president and COO Kent Hospital in Warwick, R.I., part of Providence, R.I.-based Care New England.
2. Guy Hudson, MD, was appointed president and CEO of Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health, effective in mid-October. He served as CEO of Seattle-based Swedish Health System for six years and chief executive of Renton, Wash.-based Providence’s North Division, including Puget Sound and Alaska, for two years.
3. Shelly Kortkamp, MD, was named president and CEO of Lawrence, Kan.-based LMH Health, effective Nov. 10. Dr. Kortkamp will be the first woman and physician to serve as CEO in LMH Health’s 104-year history. She most recently served as president and chief medical officer of St. Peter’s Health in Helena, Mont., where she led a 123-bed acute care hospital and behavioral health facility. She previously held leadership roles with South Bend, Ind.-based Beacon Health System and Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System.
4. William LeCates, MD, was named president and CEO of Utica, N.Y.-based Mohawk Valley Health System, effective Oct. 20. He has served as the system’s COO for the past 14 months, overseeing clinical and operational support services, product lines, quality and medical education. Prior to joining MVHS, Dr. LeCates was executive director at JPMorgan Chase, where he provided clinical oversight of healthcare operations at 22 U.S. health centers serving more than 150,000 employees.
5. Christopher Longhurst, MD, was selected as the next CEO of Seattle Children’s, the largest pediatric and adolescent academic medical center in the region. Dr. Longhurst will join Seattle Children’s from UC San Diego Health, where he is chief clinical and innovation officer.
6. Dinesh Madhok, MD, was named CEO of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Borland Groover. Dr. Madhok, a gastroenterologist, joined Borland Groover in 1997. He also serves as chief of gastroenterology for the graduate medical education program at HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital and sits on the hospital’s board of trustees.
7. Patrick McGill, MD, was named president and CEO of Indianapolis-based Community Health Network, effective Jan. 1. He currently serves as Community Health Network’s executive vice president and chief transformation officer.
8. Cristy Page, MD, was appointed CEO of Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health and dean of the UNC School of Medicine. Prior to her interim appointment in July, Dr. Page was president of UNC Health Enterprises and chief academic officer of UNC Health. She has held various other roles as well, including executive dean at the medical school from 2019 until 2025. She also founded and led Mission3, an educational nonprofit, and created the Fully Integrated Readiness for Service Training Scholars Program at the medical school.
9. Dipen Parekh, MD, was named CEO of the University of Miami Health System and executive vice president for health affairs at the University of Miami. Dr. Parekh, a urologic oncologist, has served as COO since 2020. Dr. Parekh joined the organization in 2012 as chair of the department of urology and later served as chief clinical officer from 2017 to 2020.
10. Jason Smith, MD, PhD, was appointed CEO of Louisville, Ky.-based UofL Health. Dr. Smith had served as interim CEO since June and most recently held the role of system chief medical officer. With Dr. Smith’s appointment, UofL Health became the only physician-led health system in the region.
