Leadership Awards

Introduction

NCHL recognizes leaders across the spectrum of healthcare via its leadership award programs. These include the prestigious annual Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award, the annual NCHL International Healthcare Leadership Award, and the biannual Best Organizations for Leadership Development (BOLD) Awards. Below you will find more information about nominations or participation in these award events. 

Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award

On an annual basis, the National Center for Healthcare Leadership accepts nominations for the Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award. The Award honors a healthcare leader whose commitment, values, and contributions have improved the health of the public through leadership and organizational excellence. The Leadership Award is given to an individual who has made significant and lasting leadership contributions to the health and healthcare field.  To honor this awardee, the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) hosts an award dinner.

Nominate a Healthcare Leader

The nomination window for the 2024 award will open in mid-April 2024. Submissions will be due in late-May. We expect to announce the winner in early July. The recipient of the 2024 NCHL Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award will be honored on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, in Chicago at NCHL’s Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award event celebration. 

Gail L. Warden, President Emeritus, Henry Ford Health System
Gail L. Warden is President Emeritus of Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan, one of the nation’s leading vertically integrated health care systems.

Warden is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He served on its Board of Health Care Services, Committee on Quality Health Care in America and served two terms on the Governing Council. He chairs its Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System. He chairs the board of the National Quality Forum, and the newly created National Center for Healthcare Leadership. He is a member of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Board of Trustees, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Board and the RAND Health Board of Advisors. He is director emeritus and past chairman of the Board of the National Committee on Quality Assurance. In 1997 President Clinton appointed him to the Federal Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry. In 1995 Warden served as chairman of the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees. He served as a member of the Pew Health Professions Commission, the National Commission on Civic Renewal and past chairman of the Health Research and Education Trust Board of Directors.

Locally, Warden is a director of Comerica Bank, the Detroit Zoological Society and the Citizens Research Council of Michigan. He chairs the Detroit Wayne County Health Authority and Board of Trustees of CityYear‐Detroit and is past chairman of the Greater Detroit Area Health Council.

Throughout his career Warden has received several significant awards. In 2002, 2003 and 2004 Modern Healthcare selected him as one of the “100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare.” He was ranked 14th and was the list’s highest ranked leader of a health care delivery system in 2002. In 2001 Modern Health Care Magazine named him one of the top 25 most influential individuals in the industry over the past 25 years. Yale University presented him with the first Thompson Visiting Fellowship Award, and the National Committee for Quality Assurance gave him the Health Quality Award. In 2000 he received the American Hospital Association’s Distinguished Service Award, its highest leadership recognition, and the Health Research and Educational Trust gave him the first Walter J. McNerney Fellowship Award for Health System Improvement. Warden received the American College of Health Care Executives’ 1999 Gold Medal Award, its highest honor. Early in his career, the same organization selected him Young Health Care Executive of the Year.

Warden served as president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System from April 1988 until June 2003. Before joining Henry Ford Health System, Warden served as president and chief executive officer of Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound in Seattle from 1981 to 1988. Prior to that he was executive vice president of the American Hospital Association from 1976 to 1981 and from 1965 to 1976, he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Rush‐ Presbyterian‐St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago.

Warden is a graduate of Dartmouth College and holds a master’s degree in health care management from the University of Michigan. He has an honorary doctorate in public administration from Central Michigan University and is a member of the faculty of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

2024 Selection Committee

  • Jill Schwieters, NCHL Board Chair; Senior Managing Director, Surgical Directions
  • Marna Borgstrom, Retired CEO, Yale New Haven Health
  • Richard “Chip” Davis, PhD, CEO, Rochester Regional Health; NCHL Board Member
  • David Ertel, Chief Financial Officer, Vizient, Inc.; NCHL Board Member
  • Melinda L. Estes, MD, Retired President & CEO, Saint Luke’s Health System, 2023 GLW Award Recipient
  • Al Faber, President and CEO, Baldrige Foundation
  • Rod Hochman, MD, President and CEO, Providence Health System; 2019 GLW Award Recipient
  • Jessica Melton, CEO, Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine; NCHL Board Member
  • Jim Skogsbergh, CEO, Advocate Health, 2023 GLW Award Recipient

Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award Winners (2005-Present)

2023 – Dr. Melinda Estes

2023 Co-Recipient Melinda L. Estes, MD, is president and CEO of Saint Luke’s Health System, the only locally owned, not-for-profit, faith-based, aligned health system in greater Kansas City. The health system includes 14 hospitals and campuses in the metro and its surrounding rural communities; renowned heart, neuroscience, cancer, and rehabilitation institutes; home care and hospice; behavioral health care; more than 100 physician practices and retail clinics; senior living communities, and more.

As a board-certified neurologist and neuropathologist, Dr. Estes is a champion of strengthening physician engagement. In 2020, she served as chair of the Board of Trustees for the American Hospital Association (AHA), and previously served as the chair of the task force that created the AHA Physician Alliance. Dr. Estes is a past member of the AHA Metropolitan Hospital Council, Committee on Health Professions, and Advisory Committee on Health Care Reform.

In 2022, the Missouri Hospital Association presented Dr. Estes with its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. In 2020, Modern Healthcare included her on its prestigious lists of “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” and “50 Most Influential Clinical Executives.” She was included in the 2018 and 2019 “Power 100,” a guide to the most powerful people in the Kansas City business community, as well as Ingrams’ “2022 Healthcare Heroes of Kansas City,” in the category of Lifetime Service. Since 2012, she has consistently been named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s lists of leaders to know, including “Women Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know” and “Physician Leaders of Hospitals and Health Systems.”

Dr. Estes earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, and her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, where she also completed her neurology residency. She completed a neuropathology fellowship at Cleveland Clinic and special training in pediatric neuropathology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She also earned an MBA from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management.

Dr. Estes speaks regularly at regional, national, and international health care conferences; and a frequent guest columnist for industry publications, including CEO Circle, the American College of Healthcare Executives newsletter.

 

2023 – Jim Skogsbergh

2023 Co-Recipient Jim Skogbergh, is CEO of Advocate Health, the third largest nonprofit health system in the U.S., created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. 

He most recently served as President and CEO at Advocate Aurora Health, one of the 12 largest health systems in the country. Before that, he spent 16 years leading Advocate Health Care, a predecessor organization and the largest health system in Illinois.

Named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare nine times, Skogsbergh is a leading voice on health care transformation and innovation; national health reform efforts; quality, cost and high reliability initiatives; patient safety; and health care providers’ commitment to serving their communities. Under his leadership, Advocate Aurora has been recognized as a national leader for its clinical successes, technological innovation, workplace culture and safety excellence.

Skogsbergh is a former member and past chair of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Board of Directors. He also is a former chair of the AHA Section for Health Care Systems Governing Council and a member of Regional Policy Board 5. In 2021, Skogsbergh completed a two-year term as Chairman of the AHA’s Political Action Committee. He is a member of the World Business Chicago Board of Directors and is a past chair of Chicago United and the American Cancer Society’s CEOs Against Cancer and the World Presidents Organization. Additionally, Skogsbergh is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and a past chair of the Illinois Hospital Association’s Board of Trustees.

He is the recipient of the American Hospital Association’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, as well as the ACHE Career Achievement Award, the American Heart Association’s 2023 Heart of Gold recognition, the 2015 Chicago United Bridge Award and B’nai B’rith’s 2013 National Healthcare Award.

Skogsbergh received a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Iowa and a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University.

2022 – Eugene A. Woods, M.B.A, M.H.A., FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Atrium Health, was named NCHL’s 2022 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award recipient. For more than 16 years, this award and celebratory event honors a healthcare leader whose commitment, values, and contributions have improved the health of the public through leadership and organizational excellence. The Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award was named in honor of Gail L. Warden, founding chairman of NCHL, president emeritus of Henry Ford Health System, and one of healthcare’s foremost leaders. This distinction recognizes his remarkable accomplishments as an innovator in healthcare delivery, community wellness, and health policy, and as a mentor and inspiration to future generations.

“Gene often says he is inspired by the passion and dedication of our teammates and would be the first one to defer this recognition to what they have been able to accomplish – especially over the past few years amid the challenges of the pandemic,” said Edward J. Brown, chair of the Atrium Health Enterprise Board. “But this recognition truly reinforces what we also know: Gene’s unwavering leadership and impact extend beyond just Atrium Health and is helping to reshape how we approach healthcare across the entire nation. I am extremely proud of Gene and can think of no one more deserving to receive this honorable award.”

Woods is president and chief executive officer of Atrium Health, one of the largest non-profit and leading academic health systems in the United States, with over 70,000 teammates serving patients at 40 hospitals and more than 1,400 care locations across five states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and Alabama. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Atrium Health provides care under the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist name in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as well as Atrium Health Navicent and Atrium Health Floyd in Georgia and Alabama. Atrium Health recently announced a strategic combination with Advocate Aurora Health in Illinois and Wisconsin, and once approved by the FTC, Woods will become the chief executive officer of the combined entity after 18 months.

Woods joined Atrium Health in April 2016, and during his tenure, Atrium Health has been recognized as one of the Best Employers for Diversity, for New Grads and for Women by Forbes; number one on the list of Best Places to Work for Women & Diverse Managers by DiversityMBA; one of the 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Healthcare; and the number one military-friendly employer in the country. In addition, the organization has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report, Leapfrog Group and the American Nurses Credentialing Center as among the very best in the nation and was honored by the American Hospital Association with the Equity of Care Award and one of the first-ever Quest for Quality honors for its Rehabilitation Hospital. Atrium Health was also recognized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a CMS Health Equity Award recipient for its dedication to health equity by reducing disparities and enabling communities to achieve the highest level of health.

One of today’s most prominent leaders in healthcare, Woods served as past chair of the American Hospital Association board of trustees in 2017 and the Nominating Committee and is currently a member of the Health, Strategy and Innovation Committee. Additionally, Woods is chair of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and the upcoming vice chair of the 2022 Conference of Chairs executive committee for the Bank.

Woods has 30 years of healthcare leadership experience, and his career is decorated with many honors, including his most recent recognitions as #4 of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and one of the Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare – as well as being one of only five “Luminaries,” honored for their career-defining work in reshaping the industry– by Modern Healthcare.

2021 – Maureen Bisognano, President Emerita and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), was named the 2021 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award recipient.

Ms. Bisognano previously served as IHI’s President and CEO for five years, after serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for 15 years. IHI ​has used improvement science to advance and sustain better outcomes in health and healthcare across the world for more than 30 years. She is a prominent authority on improving healthcare systems, whose expertise has been recognized by her elected membership to the National Academy of Medicine (IOM), among other distinctions.

“Ms. Bisognano is a selfless leader who has encouraged and inspired countless number of healthcare leaders through her leadership and work in the area of quality and patient safety.” LeAnn Swanson, NCHL CEO said. “She has changed the quality journey as we know it for healthcare organizations in the US and abroad. Ms. Bisognano epitomizes the very essence of this award as demonstrated through her commitment to advancing patient-centered care, influencing the development of women in healthcare leadership, and transforming the patient safety movement across the world. She is most deserving of NCHL’s highest honor and I am thrilled she has been selected as this year’s recipient.”

Ms. Bisognano advises healthcare leaders around the world, is a frequent speaker at major healthcare conferences on quality improvement, and is a tireless advocate for change. She is also an Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, a Research Associate in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Social Medicine and Health Inequalities.  Additionally, she chairs the Advisory Board of the Well Being Trust, co-chairs the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care with Dr. Atul Gawande, and serves on the boards of the Commonwealth Fund, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Indiana University Health and Nursing Now.

Prior to joining IHI, Ms. Bisognano was Senior Vice President of The Juran Institute, where she consulted with senior management on the implementation of total quality management in healthcare settings. Before that, she served as CEO of the Massachusetts Respiratory Hospital in Braintree, MA, where she participated in the National Demonstration Project, the precursor to IHI.

2020 – Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN
President & CEO, National League for Nursing

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership named Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, president and CEO of the National League for Nursing, as the recipient of the 2020 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award, recognizing her thought leadership on issues facing the nursing profession, including diversity; the nurse educator shortage; and workforce development. Dr. Malone’s distinguished career has mixed policy, education, administration, and clinical practice, including as federal deputy assistant secretary for health under President Bill Clinton. Dr. Malone has been ranked among the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare, which also honored her on their biennial list of Top 25 Women in Healthcare and in 2020 named her to the inaugural list of five Minority Healthcare Luminaries.

Interview – Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN

 

Rod Hochman

2019 – Rodney F. Hochman, MD
President & CEO, Providence

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership named Rodney F. Hochman, MD, president and CEO of Providence, as the recipient of the 2019 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award, recognizing his outstanding leadership and lifetime commitment to improving community health. Dr. Hochman leads Providence, a not-for-profit health and social services system that has served the Western US for 160 years. Under Dr. Hochman’s leadership, Providence is transforming healthcare for the future through digital innovation, genomics and scientific wellness, population health, and outreach to the poor and vulnerable.

Interview – Rod Hochman, MD
Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Rod Hochman, MD 

 

2018 – Nancy Howell Agee, RN
President & CEO, Carilion Clinic

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership is pleased to announce that Nancy Howell Agee, RN, president and chief executive officer of Carilion Clinic, has been named the recipient of the 2018 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award. Ms. Agee leads Carilion Clinic, a not-for-profit integrated health system headquartered in Roanoke, serving more than one million people in Virginia and West Virginia. Through Nancy’s servant leadership style throughout her career as an executive, she finds ways to inspire, encourage, persuade, be curious, and celebrate the strengths of others. Ms. Agee’s vision for Carilion has demonstrated how a large health system can be reshaped to meet its region’s current and future needs. She served as a key architect at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and she is recognized nationally as a healthcare leader, including her current role as chair of the American Hospital Association.

Interview – Nancy Howell Agee, RN
Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Nancy Howell Agee, RN  

 

2017 – Steven H. Lipstein
Former CEO, BJC HealthCare

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership is honored to present the 2017 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award to Steven H. Lipstein, CEO, BJC HealthCare, for his tireless work increasing access to high quality healthcare throughout Missouri and Southern Illinois. As a leader of one of the largest nonprofit healthcare organizations in the US, Mr. Lipstein has been active in transforming healthcare organizations from providers of medical services to proactive facilitators of wellness and healthcare management, while providing leadership on local and national healthcare issues. Joining BJC HealthCare in 1999, he is credited with bringing financial stability to the organization and developing and maintaining a high-performing integrated health system that consistently receives high ratings from bond agencies. With his commitment to serve all of BJC Healthcare’s communities and constituents, Mr. Lipstein has brought innovation and visionary leadership to the delivery of healthcare.

Interview – Steven H. Lipstein
Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Steven  H. Lipstein 

2016 – Christine K. Cassel, MD 
Planning Dean, Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership is honored to present the 2016 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award to Christine K. Cassel, MD for her pioneering work in geriatrics and bioethics, and her leadership at the National Quality Forum and other national organizations. Now, as Planning Dean at the new Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, Dr. Cassel is helping to build something from the ground up with an innovative approach to medical school education that immediately immerses students into clinical work with a focus on patient-centered care.

Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Christine K. Cassel, MD 

 
 
 
 
2015 – Richard J. Umbdenstock

Past President & CEO, American Hospital Association

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership is honored to present the 2015 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award to Richard J. Umbdenstock for his tireless work to transform and improve healthcare and unparalleled leadership in breaking through the divisive debate on health reform to help drive change in the nation’s healthcare system. Rich Umbdenstock’s healthcare career finished where it started. The immediate past president and CEO of the American Hospital Association (AHA) began working at the AHA in 1975—one year after receiving his master’s degree in health services administration—as a special assistant to the president. And then, step-by-step, he carefully moved through his next series of roles as if he knew all along he was preparing to return to lead the AHA through one of the most crucial and conflicted eras of its 116-year history. His consulting career, his focus on governance, and his experience enabling collaboration, building consensus, and navigating healthcare’s complexity all came together as the tumult of the Affordable Care Act unfolded into headline news—and stayed headline news—for the entire eight years that Rich headed the organization.

Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Richard J. Umbdenstock 

2014 – Co-Recipients Nancy M. Schlichting and Dr. Glenn Steele
CEO, Henry Ford Health System, and CEO, Geisinger Health System

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership is honored to present the 2014 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award to Dr. Glenn D. Steele, Jr., president and CEO of Geisinger Health System and Nancy M. Schlichting, CEO of Henry Ford Health System for using evidence-based leadership and innovative practices to improve healthcare. Through their work, they have succeeded in bringing high-value and accessible healthcare to their communities in their quest to advance population health. Dr. Steele is recognized for seeking better patient outcomes while reducing the total cost of delivering medicine. Ms. Schlichting is credited with creating a patient-centered health system focused on enhancing the patient experience, while improving its surrounding communities. With an openness to new thinking, a desire to mentor the next generation of leaders, and a commitment to change, Dr. Steele and Ms. Schlichting have permanently transformed healthcare leadership.

Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Nancy Schlichting
Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Dr. Glenn Steele  

 

 

2013 – John W. Bluford III
President and CEO, Truman Medical Centers

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) is proud to recognize John W. Bluford III and the leadership he has brought to Truman Medical Centers (TMC), transforming it into a forwardthinking academic medical center that has carved out new ways to improve population wellness and achieve organizational excellence. With nearly 15 years as CEO at TMC, Mr. Bluford has provided a blueprint to achieve cultural change by incorporating all members of the team into the process, while simultaneously enhancing surrounding communities. His penchant for service, mentoring, and leadership development is further inspired by the creation of the Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute, which exposes outstanding college students to opportunities in the field. Mr. Bluford has demonstrated how innovative leadership, dedication to the pursuit of excellence, and a commitment to continuous improvement can permanently improve healthcare.

Video of Award Acceptance Speech – John W. Bluford III 

 

 

2012 – Co-Recipients Mitchell H. Katz, MD, and Margaret E. O’Kane
Director, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, and President, National Committee for Quality Assurance

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership is privileged to honor two outstanding leaders of the healthcare community for bringing substantial and lasting improvement to population health in the U.S. as well as mentoring and preparing the next generation of healthcare leaders. The 2012 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Awards is presented to Margaret O’Kane, president of the National Committee for Quality Assurance and Dr. Mitchell Katz, Director, Department of Health Services, County of Los Angles for their innovative and exemplary contributions. Their work—Ms. O’Kane’s in the world of public policy and Dr. Katz’s in the world of public health—can be viewed as opposite sides of the same coin that is devoted to change. As an advocate for patient-centered, evidenced-based high quality care, Ms. O’Kane’s efforts have helped to save millions of lives and billions of dollars in wasted or ineffective care. Dr. Katz’s transformation of safety net systems in San Francisco and Los Angeles has expanded access to care, improved the quality of care and improved the patient experience for hundreds of thousands of uninsured, indignant or homeless individuals. With their commitment, dedication and passion, Ms. O’Kane and Dr. Katz have each brought new thinking, leadership and meaning.

Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Mitchell Katz, MD
Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Margaret O’Kane 

 

 

2011 – Michael J. Dowling
President and CEO, North Shore-LIJ Health System

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership is pleased to present the 2011 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award to Michael J. Dowling, President and CEO of North Shore-LIJ Health System for his innovative and visionary leadership that has inspired a culture of organizational excellence. By emphasizing continuous learning, mentoring, talent development, transparency, and accountability, Mr. Dowling has earned a sterling reputation for challenging North Shore-LIJ to seek constant improvement while never losing sight of its patient-centered mindset and its commitment to population health. NCHL applauds Mr. Dowling for his bold initiatives that have led to lasting and significant contributions to develop future healthcare leaders.

Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Michael J. Dowling 

 

 

2010 – Robert H. Brook, MD, ScD
RAND Corporation

Dr. Bob Brook has had a distinguished research career as the inventor of quality measurement and evidence-based medicine, forever changing the way healthcare policy makers address these issues and their implications for the health of the US population. Dr. Brook is recognized for his personal dedication to an entire generation of clinical scientists, many of whom today hold leadership positions in government and health policy research. For his visionary leadership to advance the nation’s healthcare and for inspiring healthcare leadership across the country, NCHL salutes Dr. Brook.

Video of Award Acceptance Speech – Robert H. Brook, MD, ScD 

 

2009 – Denis A. Cortese, MD
Former President and CEO, Mayo Clinic

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership is proud to present the 2009 Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award to Denis A. Cortese, MD, President and CEO of Mayo Clinic for his commitment to teamwork, mentorship, and advocacy in healthcare. With hospitals in Rochester, MN, Jacksonville, FL and Scottsdale/Phoenix, AZ, Mayo Clinic treats more than 500,000 patients each year, using an integrated approach to medicine and a philosophy that “the needs of the patient come first.” Under Dr. Cortese’s leadership, Mayo Clinic has implemented cutting edge programs in healthcare information technology, the use of genomics to customize patient-specific treatment, and launching its Health Policy Center. For his visionary leadership and commitment to future generations of healthcare leaders, NCHL salutes Dr. Cortese’s role in advancing the nation’s healthcare. 

 

 

2008 – Patricia A. Gabow, MD
Retired CEO, Denver Health

Patricia A. Gabow, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Denver Health, is the recipient of the 2008 National Healthcare Leadership Award, and is honored for her lifetime of work to improve the field of healthcare leadership. Under Dr.Gabow’s leadership, Denver Health has established a comprehensive, integrated healthcare system that achieves organizational excellence while treating at-risk populations, a model that is being adopted by other healthcare systems throughout the nation. She is additionally recognized for her commitment to building teams and mentoring the next generation of physicians and healthcare leaders during her 36-year career. For her dedication to advancing the nation’s healthcare, NCHL salutes Dr. Gabow and thanks her for her inspiration to future healthcare leaders. 

 

 

2007 – Thomas M. Priselac, MPH
President and CEO, Cedars-Sinai Health System

As president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai since 1994, Mr. Priselac has led his organization to become one of the most renowned and respected healthcare systems in the country. It is a national model of operational excellence, recognized for its ability to combine compassionate, high quality patient care with outstanding research and excellent community service and educational programs. For nearly 20 consecutive years Cedars-Sinai has been chosen as Los Angeles’ most preferred hospital in an independent survey of area residents by a national research organization. During his two decades as a senior executive at Cedars-Sinai, Mr. Priselac’s commitment to leadership excellence has benefited his organization, the communities it serves, and the entire healthcare industry. He has been celebrated as a visionary, teacher, leader, mentor, and role model for healthcare, and for the work he has done that has extended beyond his organization. He is lauded for his role in policy development, practical application, and future planning of clinical, research, and teaching aspects of healthcare delivery. He is respected for his extensive work on the boards of the American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the California Hospital Association as well as numerous other policy making organizations. For his dedication to advancing the nation’s healthcare, NCHL salutes Thomas M. Priselac and thanks him for his inspiration to future healthcare leaders. 

 

 

2006 – Co-Recipients Richard J. Davidson and Gary A. Mecklenburg
Retired President, American Hospital Association, and Retired President and CEO, Northwestern Memorial HealthCare

Dick Davidson has spent more than 30 years in healthcare leadership positions including president of the AHA since 1991 where he has focused on team building, organizational effectiveness, and unifying the various facets of healthcare, while never wavering from his vision of creating a healthy society for all. Gary Mecklenburg has also spent more than 30 years in healthcare leadership, serving as president and CEO of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. He helped lead the institution to its status as a world-renowned center of quality care and advanced medical education while remaining a tireless mentor. NCHL salutes both men for their inspiration to future healthcare leaders. 

 

 

2005- William H. Nelson
Former President and CEO, Intermountain Healthcare

Bill Nelson’s 30-year career in healthcare embodies the goals of NCHL to improve the health of the public through evidence-based leadership and improved organizational performance. He has led a healthcare system that has demonstrated sustained excellence, that is distinguished for its success in improving clinical outcomes through the implementation of best medical practices, and that is widely admired for providing the highest quality healthcare at the lowest possible cost.His many contributions have benefited the communities served by Intermountain Health Care and the entire industry. For his dedication to advancing the nation’s healthcare, NCHL salutes Bill Nelson and thanks him for his inspiration to future healthcare leaders. 

NCHL International Healthcare Leadership Award

NCHL is dedicated to advancing healthcare leadership and organizational excellence by building diverse, inclusive, and collaborative relationships in the US and abroad. Inclusion of the term “in the US and abroad” in this mission statement is intentional, as a significant portion of NCHL’s portfolio of activities focuses on and supports US healthcare organizations that work with international patients; providers; hospitals; governments; and other partners from around the world. The NCHL International Healthcare Leadership Award honors a leader whose commitment, values, and contributions have made a significant and positive impact on the provision of healthcare across international borders.

Nominate a Healthcare Leader

The nomination window for the 2024 award will open in June 2024. We expect to announce the awardee in early August. The recipient of the 2024 NCHL International Healthcare Leadership Award will be honored on Tuesday, November 19, in Chicago at NCHL’s Gail L. Warden Leadership Excellence Award event celebration. 

2023 Selection Committee

  • Charles (Chuck) Bogosta, President, UPMC International; Executive Vice President, UPMC; 2022 NCHL International Healthcare Leadership Award Recipient

  • Farheen Dam, Head of Health, North America, Aon; NCHL Board Member

  • David Gillan, Chief, Client Retention and Strategy, Sodexo Healthcare; NCHL Board Member

  • Cynthia Gonzalez, Director, Global Health Services, Americas – International, Cook Children’s Health Care System

  • Edwin (Ed) McCarthy, Vice President, Center for International Medicine, City of Hope

  • Jill Schwieters, NCHL Board ChairSenior Managing Director, Surgical Directions

  • Gabriella (Gaby) V. West, Vice President, International Services & Global Operations, Broward Health

2023 Winner

Dr Cary Adams, chief executive officer of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) was the recipient of the 2023 NCHL International Healthcare Leadership Award. Born in London, Cary Adams has a BSc Honours degree in Economics, Computing and Statistics, a Masters degree (with distinction) in Business Administration. He is a Harvard Business School alumni and has received two Honorary Doctorates in International Relations and Health. In 2009, Cary made a career change, moving from the management of international businesses in the banking sector to become CEO of UICC, based in Geneva – the largest international cancer NGO of its kind with more than 1150 member organisations in over 170 countries and territories. UICC unites and supports the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden, to promote greater equity, and to integrate cancer control into the world health and development agenda. UICC also boasts more than 60 strategic partners.

Cary also served two terms as Chair of the NCD Alliance Board, a coalition of around 2,000 organisations working on non-communicable diseases, which include cancer, diabetes, heart, respiratory, mental and neurological diseases. In 2014, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in International Relations from the University for Business and International Studies in Geneva, and in 2015 an Honorary Doctorate in Health from Bath University in the UK. In May 2015, Cary was awarded ‘CEO of the year’ at the International and European Association conference organised by the Associations Network.

2022 Winner

CHARLES “CHUCK” BOGOSTA, president of UPMC International, has been named NCHL’s 2022 International Healthcare Leadership Award recipient.

 

Best Organizations for Leadership Development (BOLD)

The Best Organizations for Leadership Development Award is the culmination of NCHL’s National Health Leadership Survey, which is designed to point all organizations toward practices that are firmly grounded in sound scientific principles and best available evidence for effectiveness, and to recognize high-performing organizations. 

 

The National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) would like to extend our most sincere congratulations to the following seven (7) organizations, that have been identified as the 2022 BOLD Winners. Winners of this prestigious award were determined based on final scores and responses to the NCHL 2022 National Healthcare Leadership Survey

2022 BOLD Winners and Programs of Distinction

2022 BOLD Winners
  • The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Intermountain Healthcare
  • Children’s Health System of Texas
  • The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
  • UT Southwestern Medical Center
  • UCHealth
  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)

NCHL would like to also acknowledge the tremendous achievements of the 2022 Programs of Distinction. Programs of Distinction are awarded to organizations that achieved the highest scores within a specific leadership dimension of the survey. Their achievements demonstrate a commitment to integrating best practices in leadership within their organization.

2022 BOLD Programs of Distinction

  • BayCare Health System (strategic alignment)
  • Carilion Clinic (leadership coaching)
  • FHN (monitoring and achieving results)
  • Hartford HealthCare (preparing new leaders)
  • Memorial Health (admin fellowships)
  • Mount Sinai Health System (leadership and well-being)

What is BOLD & How to Get Involved 

Every two years, a team of researchers update the National Leadership Survey based on the state-of-the-science in leadership development. By completing the survey, participating organizations are able to be compare their approaches to leadership develop to evidence-based practice as well as other health systems using the customized scorecard generated from survey responses. The survey will launch again in late-spring 2024. For more information on the National Health Leadership Survey and how your organization can participate, please visit our Research page or visit the link below.

In 2014, we used the results from a total of 103 hospitals and health systems to recognize 19 Best Organizations in Leadership Development (BOLD). With support from Cielo Healthcare in 2016, a new group of hospitals and health systems was recognized at the 2016 BOLD organizations. In 2020, the process was repeated and 10 BOLD organizations were recognized. 

2020 BOLD Awardees
Centura Health
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
Children’s Health System of Texas
Cleveland Clinic
Cone Health
Henry Ford Health System
Intermountain Healthcare
Tampa General Hospital
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
UPMC

 

2020 BOLD Programs of Distinction

Akron Children’s Hospital

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Atrium Health

Hartford Healthcare

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford

Mount Sinai Health System

Rush University Medical Center

2018 BOLD Awardees

Atrium Health
Aurora Health Care
BayCare Health System
Carilion Clinic
Children’s Health Sytem of Texas
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Deaconess Health System
Memorial Health System
Northwell Health
Stanford Children’s Health/Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford

2018 Programs of Distinction

Boston Childrens Hospital
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Emory Healthcare
Regional Health
Rush University Medical Center
UCLA Health

2016 BOLD Awardees

Banner Health

Carilion Clinic

Carolinas Health Care System

Duke Regional Hospital/Duke University Health System

Henry Ford Health System

Memorial Health System

Northwell Health

Penn Medicine

Stanford Children’s Health / Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford

Tenet Healthcare

 

2016 BOLD Programs of Distinction

Aurora Health Care

BayCare Health System

Cleveland Clinic

Cone Health

Deaconess Health System

Magee Rehabilitation Hospital

Palmetto Health

Renown Health

Yale New Haven Health

 The window to participate in the National Healthcare Leadership Survey in 2022 is now closed. If you are interested in participating in 2024, please contact info@nchl.org.  

2022 Best Organizations for Leadership Development (BOLD) Sponsor

The 2022 Best Organizations for Leadership Development Award is powered by Gallagher.