Advocate Aurora Health names executive leadership team

Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care today unveiled the executive leadership team of their combined system as the organizations’ proposed merger nears closing.

The union of Downers Grove, Illinois-based Advocate Health Care and Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care is expected to receive final approval from the Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner in the coming weeks. It has already cleared regulatory review from the Federal Trade Commission and state of Illinois. The deal is expected to close this spring.

As a combined system, Advocate Aurora Health will operate 27 hospitals and employ more than 73,000 people. The systems have said their combined revenues of $11 billion will offer financial flexibility to expand investment and scale innovation.

Aurora chief executive officer Nick Turkal and Advocate CEO Jim Skogsbergh will serve as co-CEOs of the combined system.

Of the 15 Advocate Aurora executive team members announced today, six are current executive leaders at Aurora and nine are from Advocate.

“The Advocate Aurora Health executive leadership team has the proven track record and experience to boldly lead our new organization into the future as we transform the health care industry,” said Turkal in a news release.

“This strong and visionary leadership team positions us to enhance our work on safety, outcomes, cost and consumer experience to deliver on our promise of reimagining the possibilities of health for those we serve,”  Skogsbergh said.

The new leadership team includes:

• Rick Klein, current chief of business strategy and payer relations for Aurora, will be chief business development officer of Advocate Aurora. Klein has been with Aurora since 1986 and served in various leadership roles related to business development, strategy and payer relations.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Cristy Garcia-Thomas, current chief experience officer for Aurora and president of its foundation, will be chief external affairs officer of Advocate Aurora. Garcia-Thomas has been with Aurora since 2011 and has more than 20 years of leadership experience in philanthropy, publishing and community affairs.
• Dominic Nakis, current senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer for Advocate, will be CFO of Advocate Aurora. Nakis has been with Advocate for more than 30 years after beginning his career in the health care practice at Ernst & Young.
• Kevin Brady, current senior vice president and chief human resources officer of Advocate, will be chief human resources officer of Advocate Aurora. Brady has been with Advocate for more than 26 years and has 30 years of experience in the HR industry.
• Bobbie Byrne, current senior vice president of information systems and chief information officer of Advocate, will be CIO of Advocate Aurora. She has been with Advocate for nearly a year and has more than 15 years of experience in clinical informatics and a decade of experience in professional practice.
• Mike Lappin, current chief administrative officer of Aurora, will be chief integration officer of Advocate Aurora. He joined Aurora in 2009 leading the system’s non-clinical administrative functions. He previously practiced law for 16 years at Quarles & Brady LLC.
• Michael Grebe, current chief legal officer of Aurora, will be chief legal officer of Advocate Aurora. Prior to joining Aurora in 2017, Grebe was executive vice president and general counsel at HUSCO International, Inc. and a partner at the Quarles & Brady LLP law firm.
• Kelly Jo Golson, current senior vice president, chief marketing and digital officer of Advocate, will be chief marketing officer of Advocate Aurora. She has been with Advocate since 2007 and has previously held leadership roles at Memorial Hermann Healthcare, Methodist Healthcare and St. Luke’s Episcopal Healthcare.
• Lee Sacks, current executive vice president and chief medical officer of Advocate, will be chief medical officer of Advocate Aurora. He has been with Advocate for 40 years, 27 of which were in clinical leadership roles.
• Mary Beth Kingston, current executive vice president and chief nursing officer of Aurora, will be chief nursing officer of Advocate Aurora. She has been with Aurora for six years and has more than 35 years of experience in various nursing and administrative roles.
• Bill Santulli, current executive vice president and chief operating officer of Advocate, will be COO of Advocate Aurora. He has been with Advocate for nearly 20 years and has previously held leadership roles with Iowa Health System, Unihealth America and Good Samaritan Hospital.
• Rev. Kathie Bender Schwich, current senior vice president of mission and spiritual care of Advocate, will be chief spiritual officer of Advocate Aurora. An ordained minister, Bender Schwich has been with Advocate for nearly a decade and has more than 30 years of experience in spiritual care and executive leadership.
• Scott Powder, current senior vice president and chief strategy officer of Advocate, will be chief strategy officer of Advocate Aurora. He has been with Advocate for 24 years.
• Vince Bufalino, current president of physician and ambulatory services at Advocate, will be chief Advocate Medical Group officer. He has been with Advocate for six years and has 30 years of experience as a practicing cardiologist and health care administrator.
• Jeff Bahr, current chief clinical officer and president of Aurora Health Care Medical Group, will be chief Aurora Medical Group officer. A practicing internist, Bahr has been with Aurora since 2002 and has 17 years of clinical and administrative leadership experience.