Becker’s Hospital Review has named Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health, to its 2024 list of Great Leaders in Healthcare.

Thomas assumed leadership of Sutter Health in late 2022 as the first externally appointed CEO in more than 40 years. Since that time, Becker’s writes, he has “put the health system on track to enhance the outstanding care it provides, serve more patients across its footprint and expand the number and type of care centers it offers.”

Over the last year, that has included the development of a long-term strategy and operational restructuring; increased access through both physical growth and the recruitment of hundreds of new physicians and clinicians, along with the introduction of a suite of digital tools; and expanded partnerships, from medical schools to community health organizations.

Thomas is also actively engaged with policymakers and organizations committed to advancing health policy in California and nationally. One area of focus is identifying new ways to cultivate the state’s clinician pipeline to increase care capacity and patient access by removing regulatory barriers, increasing incentives and enhancing training and retention to encourage burgeoning clinicians to remain in California. Additional work with key leaders is aimed at growing Graduate Medical Education programs, fostering academic partnerships in the state and increasing workplace safety protections for healthcare workers.

He also serves as a member of the board of the Bay Area Council and sits on its Executive Committee. He is also a fellow at the American College of Healthcare Executives, where he this year presented and authored a piece on the importance of organizational culture, and previously served as a member of the American Hospital Association’s Board of Trustees and chairman of AHA’s Health Systems Governing Council.

To read more about Thomas and the full list of Great Leaders in Healthcare, visit the Becker’s site.