Leadership in healthcare requires a wealth of knowledge and skills, but there are many different paths one can take.
Here are three hospital and health system CEOs who started their leadership journey in behavioral health:
Kenneth Davis, MD. President and CEO of Mount Sinai Health System (New York City). Dr. Davis is president and CEO of Mount Sinai Health System and former CEO of Mount Sinai Medical Center. During his tenure, the hospital improved its ranking among National Institutes of Health funding among medical schools, improved its Moody's rating and earned a spot on U.S. News & World Report's honor roll. A psychiatrist and pharmacologist by training, Dr. Davis served as chief of psychiatry at the Bronx Veterans Administration Medical Center and launched programs at Mount Sinai focused on the biology of schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.
Reed Reyman. President of CHI St. Alexius Health (Bismarck, N.D.). Mr. Reyman, who started his professional career as a special education teacher and school psychologist, joined CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson as CEO in 2009. As CEO, Mr. Reyman oversaw CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson's 2014 move to a new facility, which houses both the 25-bed critical access hospital and its local clinics. He returned to the system in January 2023, when he stepped into his current role as president.
Pablo Velez, PhD, RN. CEO of El Centro (Calif.) Regional Medical Center. Dr. Velez has more than 40 years of experience in healthcare, including more than 25 in clinical care, healthcare administration and patient care in border communities. He began his career as a nurse manager in the neurobehavioral and acute neurology units of Boston VA Medical Center. Dr. Velez most recently served as CEO at the 449-bed San Diego-based Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. His tenure as CEO of ECRMC takes effect April 17.