(Left to right) Anup Singh, Dr. Lindsay Mazotti, Genea Wilson, Megan Gillespie, Darian Harris, and Leon Clark pose together from the 2025 Becker’s Annual Meeting in Chicago. Credit: Dr. Lindsay Mazotti
As the healthcare landscape undergoes rapid transformation—from evolving care models to shifting workforce dynamics and financial pressures—Sutter Health’s executive leaders took the national stage last week to help chart a course forward. In a series of high-impact panels and discussions at Becker’s Annual Meeting in Chicago, they shared strategies, innovations and insights drawn directly from their experience leading facets of one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health systems.
Innovating Workforce Development to Meet Future Needs
One of the most urgent—and promising—areas of transformation is the healthcare workforce itself. In a fireside chat titled “Pioneering Pathways in Medical Education to Address Tomorrow’s Healthcare Challenges,” two of Sutter’s medical education leaders spotlighted the system’s bold investments in graduate medical education to tackle physician shortages head-on and help ensure access to care for patients today and in the future. Dr. Lindsay Mazotti, Sutter’s chief medical officer of medical education and science, and Leon Clark, chief academic affairs officer, describe Sutter’s investments in medical education and training as extending well beyond adding numbers to the workforce.
“By building programs aligned with our clinical footprint, we create a pipeline of mission-aligned, locally trained physicians who are more likely to stay,” she explained. “Integrating GME into system strategy ensures we’re growing talent where we need it most.”
Redefining Financial Leadership with a Patient-First Philosophy
Beyond workforce development, Sutter leaders offered concrete strategies for navigating some of healthcare’s most pressing and complex issues—from financial sustainability to operational efficiency and leadership in times of change. In each session, they brought forward real-world lessons from across the system, grounded in frontline realities and informed by ongoing transformation efforts.
In a panel focused on the evolving role of the hospital CFO, Sutter’s Luke Rockenbach, chief financial officer of the organization’s Greater Silicon Valley Division, emphasized that the essence of financial leadership in healthcare transcends traditional number-crunching and is instead rooted in a “patients first” philosophy.
“When people come to me and ask questions, there’s an assumption that I’m bottom-line first. I’m not. I’m patients first, every single time,” he said. “Our role as CFOs is to do the right thing for the patient, and then the hard work is figuring out how to make the economics work.”
Leading Through Transformation with Courage and Collaboration
In a session on pioneering strategies for the next decade, Sutter leaders underscored the need to accelerate value creation by embracing innovation and strengthening human connections, sharing how investments in workforce development, digital transformation and new models of care are helping the system stay nimble in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Darian Harris, CEO of Sutter’s Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, believes health systems can remain nimble in a dynamic landscape by investing in workforce development, digital transformation and new models of care that prioritize access, sustainability and value creation.
“As we look ahead, one thing is clear: meaningful progress will require courage, collaboration, focus on value creation, and a willingness to not only navigate but lead the disruptive change in our industry,” Harris said.
Shaping the Future of Healthcare Together
These themes—innovation, adaptability and a steadfast commitment to value—resonated throughout the event, underscoring Sutter Health’s role as a forward-thinking leader during one of the most transformative periods in healthcare. Across multiple sessions, organizational leaders explored how courage, collaboration and a focus on operational excellence are driving real-time change.
Megan Gillespie, CEO of Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital, emphasized the need for agility and physician partnership to strengthen care access and delivery, as well as actionable insights for CEOs navigating the next year of healthcare. Trevor Brand, CEO of Sutter Delta Medical Center, spoke to the power of culture in cultivating elite, high-performing teams. Amber Campbell, ambulatory CEO for the Greater Central Valley Division, addressed the complexities of rising patient volumes and the operational strategies needed to manage them effectively. Dr. Anup Singh of Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital highlighted how high-value care hinges on empowering clinical teams through quality improvement and data-driven insights. Genea Wilson, ambulatory CEO for the East Bay Division, shared lessons in leading through transformation while enhancing ambulatory efficiency to deliver better, more coordinated care, and leadership strategies for CEOs guiding organizations through times of change. Dr. Peter Hull, chief medical officer for the Greater Sacramento Division, discussed navigating the evolving landscape of physician contracts, emphasizing the importance of aligning terms with organizational goals and values.
Together, these voices painted a clear picture: Sutter’s leaders are not only navigating disruption—they’re helping to define what high-performing, people-centered healthcare looks like for the future.
