Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System, has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of this year’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives. The program acknowledges clinicians who are deemed by their peers and an expert panel to have demonstrated the most influential leadership and impact in the health care industry.
“At UCLA Health, our goal is to provide the best patient experience with every patient, every encounter, every time,” said Spisso, who is also associate vice chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences. “As the U.S. continues to confront an unprecedented pandemic, we strive to pursue innovative, research-based approaches to lessen COVID-19’s impact and address longstanding health inequities magnified by the crisis.”
A nationally recognized academic health care leader with more than 30 years of experience, Spisso oversees UCLA’s four hospitals, the faculty practice group and more than 200 clinics in Southern California, as well as the UCLA Health system’s regional outreach strategy. She has published numerous articles and book chapters on health care leadership.
Before joining UCLA Health, Spisso spent 22 years at UW Medicine in Seattle, where she was chief health system officer and vice president of medical affairs for the University of Washington.
Trained as a registered nurse, Spisso rose through the ranks at UC Davis Medical Center where she worked for 12 years and directed critical care, emergency and trauma services, and the Life Flight Air-Medical program. Before that, she began her career as a critical-care nurse at the University of Pittsburgh Presbyterian Medical Center.
“At UCLA Health, we continuously work to improve opportunities for developing and mentoring leaders and fostering diversity and inclusion. We are encouraged by our progress,” Spisso said. “My thanks to Modern Healthcare; I am extremely honored to be included on this distinguished list.”
Profiles of the winners are featured in the print edition of Modern Healthcare.
