CEO Lloyd Dean will Retire from CommonSpirit Health Next Year

CHICAGO – October 12, 2021 — CommonSpirit Health, one of the country’s largest healthcare systems, announced today that CEO Lloyd Dean will retire from the organization next summer. CommonSpirit’s Board of Stewardship Trustees has begun a process to identify Dean’s successor.  

Dean served as CEO of Dignity Health (previously Catholic Healthcare West) for 19 years before becoming CEO of CommonSpirit following Dignity Health’s merger with Catholic Health Initiatives in February, 2019. Dean was appointed as sole CEO in July 2020 to steer the $30 billion organization through its transition and establish CommonSpirit as a national leader in health care.

“During his 22 years of service, Lloyd has been one of our country’s leading voices for expanding access to quality health care. He was a driving force behind establishing and growing CommonSpirit into one of the country’s largest, most diverse and leading health systems. Lloyd steered our organization through one of the most important periods for health care in our country’s history, and we will forever be grateful for his leadership,” said Tessie Guillermo, Chairwoman of CommonSpirit’s board. 

CommonSpirit has more than 1,500 care sites, 140 hospitals and 150,000 employees and physicians across 22 states. “It’s been the job of my life, and I cannot overstate how much I have enjoyed every moment of it nor how much I believe in the future of CommonSpirit Health. It’s been such a privilege to be part of Catholic Healthcare West and Dignity Health, and to have brought that organization together with Catholic Health Initiatives to create CommonSpirit Health. CommonSpirit is well positioned for a bright future and to meet the challenges ahead,” said Dean. “Throughout our 100 year history, our caregivers and hospitals have shown an amazing commitment to being there for our patients and communities. I remain laser focused on providing care to our patients and communities, advancing our integration as a single organization to achieve better outcomes and lower costs and meeting with policy makers to create a regulatory environment in which providers can serve their communities for decades to come.”

CommonSpirit’s board has established a search committee focused on identifying its next CEO. Global leadership advisory and search consultancy Russell Reynolds Associates has been retained to assist the board, which will complete the search prior to Dean’s departure. 

CommonSpirit remains focused on supporting the wellbeing of its people amid the Covid-19 pandemic; improving its operational performance; expanding its programs to coordinate and customize care; addressing the unique needs of the communities it serves, with special attention to vulnerable populations; and enhancing consumer engagement.

CommonSpirit has made significant progress on the priorities it outlined when it was formed, while also navigating the pandemic, preserving access to essential services for the communities it serves and

supporting its clinicians and employees. “As CommonSpirit enters its third full fiscal year, we are in a much better position to navigate health care’s ‘new normal’ compared to prior years,” said Tessie Guillermo. “The success we have had is truly unprecedented and a tribute to Lloyd’s leadership. Our approach leading to that success has been a result of putting people first and emphasizing the value of collaboration, and Lloyd embodies both.”

CommonSpirit recorded operating income of $998 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30th, a 3% margin, compared to an operating loss of $550 million in FY20. When excluding CARES Act revenue and a one-time sale of joint venture shares, CommonSpirit posted a loss of $215 million. CommonSpirit prioritized investments in home care and virtual care, and technologies to ease patient-provider interactions and facilitate referrals to social services that impact health.  Caring for the underserved has remained an emphasis for the organization. CommonSpirit plans to release a new 5-year strategic roadmap in the fall.

Dean remains one of the country’s leading voices in the fight for health equity, one of the leading Black CEOs and made notable contributions during his tenure. Among his accomplishments during his 22 years, Dean lists his contributions to the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) among his greatest; he was an outspoken advocate for the passage of the ACA and partnered with the President Obama Administration and Congressional leaders to rally support for the bill. He also cites CommonSpirit’s recent partnership with the Morehouse School for Medicine to commit $100 million over ten years to increase the number of Black doctors and efforts with the Baylor College of Medicine, Creighton University and the Morehouse School of Medicine to have an impact on advancing more culturally sensitive care delivery across America. 

Among Dean’s many impressive accomplishments, he established Dignity Health as the leading Medicaid provider in California and CommonSpirit one of the leading Medicaid providers in the United States, and he partnered with governors and presidents in support of a stronger national health care system, economy and workforce. 

Dean was raised in Muskegon, Michigan as the second oldest of nine children and was blessed with strong family values and a love of learning. He became a first generation college graduate. His interest in education, social activism and music guided him toward teaching, broadcasting and an eventual career with Upjohn’s Pharmaceutical. From there he ascended into healthcare leadership at Advocate Health system as Executive Vice President before joining (then) Catholic Healthcare West. “I’m enormously grateful for the opportunities afforded me to live out my passion – access to health care for all people, especially the poor and the vulnerable. I’ve been blessed to serve with some of the most dedicated caregivers and leaders in healthcare,” said Dean. “I’m looking forward to the next year during which I plan to advance our strategic priorities, ensure our patients are receiving the very best care possible, support our caregivers, do everything I can to help end this pandemic, and continue to advocate for health equity and social justice in this extraordinary country.”

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About CommonSpirit Health

CommonSpirit Health is a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. It was created in February 2019 by Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. With its national office in Chicago and a team of approximately 150,000 employees and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, CommonSpirit operates 140 hospitals and more than 1,500 care sites across 21 states. In FY 2021, CommonSpirit had revenues of $33.3 billion and provided $5.1 billion in charity care, community benefit, and unreimbursed government programs. Learn more at www.commonspirit.org.