Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center competitors

Jim is President and CEO of Advocate Aurora Health. Previously, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Advocate Health Care, the largest health system in Illinois and one of the largest in the Midwest, since 2002. Named as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare for six consecutive years beginning in 2011, Jim has been featured in local and national news publications as 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 Health Care has been recognized as a national leader for its clinical successes, technological innovation, workplace culture and safety excellence. He is a former member and past chair of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Board of Directors, the national organization that represents America’s hospitals and health systems. He also is a former chair of the AHA Section for Health Care Systems Governing Council and a member of Regional Policy Board 5. Jim is a member of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s World Business Chicago Board of Directors and is a past chair of Chicago United as well as the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) CEOs Against Cancer and the World Presidents Organization.

Kate Walsh is president and CEO of the Boston Medical Center (BMC) health system, with annual operating revenue of $4 billion. BMC is a private, not-for-profit, 514-bed, academic medical center with a community-based focus. The primary teaching affiliate of Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center has approximately 5,700 employees and 760 physicians. The BMC health system also includes the BMC HealthNet Plan, a Medicaid Managed Care Organization with more than 450,000 members and Boston HealthNet, a network affiliation of 14 community health centers throughout Boston. Prior to her appointment at Boston Medical Center, Ms. Walsh served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Brigham and Women's Hospital. She served previously as the chief operating officer for Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research and at Massachusetts General Hospital in positions including senior vice president of medical services and the MGH Cancer Center. Prior to her tenure at Mass General, she held positions in a number of New York City hospitals including Montefiore, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Saint Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital Center and the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. Ms. Walsh received her bachelor’s of arts degree and a master’s degree in public health from Yale University. She is a member of the Boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, the AAMC Council of Teaching Hospitals, Pine Street Inn, Dean’s Council of the Yale University School of Medicine, and the Greater Boston YMCA Board of Overseers.

As president and chief executive officer, Bill Gassen is leading efforts to tackle some of medicine’s most challenging issues, including the state of global health, breast cancer, pediatric rare diseases and type 1 diabetes. At the same time, the organization is also advancing health care through its innovative integration of genomics into primary care, the creation of an expansive biobank and the exploration of the healing powers of immunotherapy and adipose stem cells. Gassen began his career at Sanford Health in 2012 as corporate counsel and transitioned to the human resources department two years later as vice president of human resource integration and eventually became the chief human resources officer. In 2019, he was promoted to chief administrative officer with oversight of human resources, technology solutions, legal, facilities, business development and the Sanford Sports Complex. Prior to joining Sanford Health, Gassen spent several years in private legal practice. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a law degree, both from the University of South Dakota. Gassen and his wife, Jill, have five children.

As president and CEO of Scripps Health since 2000, Chris Van Gorder has been instrumental in positioning Scripps among the nation’s foremost health care institutions. Now he is leading the restructure of the $3.1 billion, integrated health system to best prepare for the changes of health care reform.