May 2, 2022 – CommonSpirit Health announced that following a national search, Wright L. Lassiter III will succeed Lloyd H. Dean as its next CEO starting on Aug. 1. Dean announced last fall that he would retire this year.
Lassiter brings 30 years of experience working in large, complex health systems, most recently at Henry Ford Health. As CEO since 2016, Lassiter led Henry Ford through the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly expanded its footprint and grew its revenue, and earned recognition for the system’s focus on employee well-being and a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice.
Lassiter is the current Board Chair of the American Hospital Association and is known as a powerful voice for improving care and a champion for health equity.
As CommonSpirit’s next CEO, Lassiter will lead one of the country’s largest and most diverse health care organizations, with a network of 140 hospitals and more than 1,500 care sites across 21 states and seven geographic divisions. CommonSpirit is a nonprofit, Catholic provider system that includes leading health care brands such as Dignity Health, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, CHI Health, Centura Health, and Baylor St. Luke’s, and is among the nation’s top providers of Medicaid and Medicare services.
Lassiter will work with the Board and executive leadership team to advance CommonSpirit’s strategic priorities and to guide the organization’s next phase of growth and financial sustainability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. A key area of focus will include supporting the health and well-being of CommonSpirit’s nurses, physicians, and staff.
Lassiter has a proven track record of success with nonprofit, public, and faith-based health organizations. As CEO of Henry Ford, Lassiter led the system through a comprehensive strategic planning effort, completed two successful mergers that expanded the system’s geographic footprint and grew revenues, and implemented a recent rebranding.
Prior to joining Henry Ford, Lassiter was CEO of Alameda Health System in Oakland, CA, where he was credited with leading the expansion of the public health system. As Board Chair of the American Hospital Association, he plays a key role in advancing the priorities of hospitals across the country and was a past chair of America’s Essential Hospitals.
Originally from Tuskegee, AL, Lassiter received his master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Indiana University. Lassiter completed his bachelor’s degree with honors in Chemistry from Le Moyne, a Jesuit college in upstate New York.