The role of the physician executive is undergoing a fundamental shift. Once focused primarily on clinical quality and medical staff affairs, physician leadership today sits at the center of enterprise strategy, financial performance, workforce sustainability, and system‑wide transformation. The State of Physician Leadership examines how this evolving mandate is reshaping what is expected of physician leaders, and how effectively those expectations are being met across healthcare organizations.
“As a physician executive, you should be a Swiss Army knife — able to move between clinical care, operations, finance, and business strategy. With the right skill set and portfolio, you become a critical organizational asset.”
This report is informed by a multi‑method research effort combining a national survey of physician executives with in‑depth interviews with sitting chief medical officers, chief clinical officers, and chief physician executives. The findings are grounded in the lived experience of physician leaders navigating increasing organizational complexity and accountability at the enterprise level.ragraph
This Report Offers
- A clear view of how physician executive roles are expanding, and where role design and capacity are falling out of alignment
- A framework for understanding physician leadership models based on scope, authority, and enterprise impact rather than title alone
- Insight into how influence operates as the primary leadership mechanism in matrixed healthcare organizations
- Practical perspectives on leadership pathways, preparation gaps, and development needs for physician executives
Rather than presenting a single leadership model, the report offers practical lenses for boards, CEOs, and leadership teams seeking to better design physician executive roles, align authority with expectation, and build durable leadership capacity across increasingly complex healthcare enterprises.
Complete the Form to Access the Report
The State of Physician Leadership: From Clincial Oversight to Enterprise Leadership
Our Contributors
We are deeply grateful to the physician executives who generously shared their time, experiences, and insights for this research. Their candor and firsthand perspectives have been instrumental in illuminating the evolving landscape of physician leadership in healthcare.
Andy Anderson, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical and Quality Officer at RWJBarnabas Health
Theresa M. H. Brennan, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center
Jonathan M. Buscaglia, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Stony Brook University Hospital
Joseph C. Carmichael, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at UCI Health
Joseph M. Galante, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at UC Davis Medical Center
Chris A. Ghaemmaghami, M.D., Executive Vice President, Chief Physician Executive and Chief Clinical Officer at Jackson Health System
Caesar Gonzales II, M.D., Chief Clinical Officer at Trinity Health Michigan
Jamal Hakim, M.D., Chief Physician Officer at Orlando Health
Steven T. Hester, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical and Strategy Officer at Norton Healthcare
Susan Huang, M.D., Chief Physician Executive at Providence
Gregory R. Johnson, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at UnityPoint Health
Kierstin Cates Kennedy, M.D., Chief Medical and Quality Officer at University Hospital, UAB Medicine
Sanjeeb Khatua, M.D., Chief Physician Executive at Endeavor Health
Ajay Kumar, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at Hartford HealthCare
Adrian Moran, M.D., Chief Medical and Transformation Officer at MaineHealth
John D. Phipps, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at UF Health
Andrew N. Pollak, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer at University of Maryland Medical System
Kevin Post, D.O., Chief Medical Officer at Avera Health
Iyad Sabbagh, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Physician Executive and President, Valley Physician Enterprise at Valley Health
Shlomit Schaal, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Executive at Houston Methodist, President and Chief Executive Officer at Houston Methodist Physician Organization
Kevin R. Smith, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Tucson Medical Center
Sowmya Viswanathan, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Executive at BayCare Health System
Alon Z. Weizer, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Mount Sinai Medical Center
Suzanne Wenderoth, M.D., former Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Tower Health
