Novant Health Unveils Leadership Structure to Scale Resources, Evolves Operating Model Across Regions

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New structure will support nonprofit health system’s goal to bring high-quality care to communities across the Southeastern U.S.

Novant Health, a leading nonprofit health care system currently serving North and South Carolina, rolled out a redesigned leadership operating model to better support the system’s agility and scalability as it aspires to extend its model of care to communities across the rapidly growing Southeast.

Over the last year, Novant Health has achieved remarkable safety and quality performance, outstanding improvements to our patient and team member experience and historical financial performance. These achievements and progress were created through strong operations and strategic growth into areas like South Carolina, creating a catalyst for continued evolution.

“Novant Health is united by Our Cause to create a healthier future and bring remarkable experiences to life. Together, we entered 2025 with significant momentum to accelerate our achievements and growth,” said Carl S. Armato, Novant Health president and CEO. “To deliver on Our Cause, we are embracing the changing health care landscape and must evolve our leadership operating model and perform differently to achieve our aspirations. These changes will accelerate our progress while remaining true to our commitment to delivering the highest quality care, remarkable patient experience and team member well-being.”

The leadership model introduces acute and ambulatory operating units, which span regions and will enable growth and best-in-class performance. Additionally, the model formalizes a regional structure, which includes the Charlotte Region, the Triad Region, the Coastal Region (comprising Novant Health facilities in Coastal North Carolina) and the South Carolina Region. New regions will be officially named as Novant Health continues to grow at scale. Each region will be led by a president who will be responsible for optimizing care for a seamless, patient-centered experience across the care continuum.

The evolved structure also includes two senior vice president roles over nursing and clinical services and integrated care solutions, such as pharmacy and home health, to amplify the voice of nursing and build out Novant Health’s continuum of care for enhanced health outcomes. These roles will also drive connection between clinical, strategy and operations by collaborating across regions, facilities and institutes.

Underpinning these changes is the integration of Novant Health Enterprises (NHE) more broadly and collaboratively throughout the organization. NHE was launched in 2022 as a business division to accelerate clinical, operational and technological growth for Novant Health and the health care industry.

Additional benefits of the operating model include:

• Positioning Novant Health to pursue transformative care delivery, which includes establishing new affiliations with other leading care providers throughout the Southeast.
• Working as one Novant Health and collaborating across teams for unified goals while also ensuring focus among teams and their responsibilities.
• Creating flexibility for new growth while leveraging scale wherever possible. 
• Driving strategic growth and performance within markets with distinctly different needs, and into new markets.
• Operating with speed and agility across all parts of Novant Health.
• Delivering continued clinical excellence by increasing the connection between clinical and operational teams. 
• Investing in, inspiring, growing and serving our remarkable team members.

The following individuals now have new or expanded roles.

• John Gizdic, executive vice president and chief operating officer is responsible for acute care, integrated care solutions, nursing and clinical services, and, in North Carolina, the Triad and Coastal Regions. 
• Dean Swindle, executive vice president, chief strategy officer and president of Novant Health Enterprises, is responsible for ambulatory care, physician enterprise, integrated value-based care model, strategy, Novant Health Enterprises, and the Charlotte and South Carolina Regions, as well as growth regions.
• Saad Ehtisham, DHA, now serves as senior vice president and president of acute operations, while a new senior vice president and president of ambulatory operations will be recruited.
• Sid Fletcher, M.D., Ernie Bovio and Jason Bernd were named senior vice president and president of the Charlotte, Coastal and South Carolina Regions respectively. A senior vice president and president of the Triad Region will be recruited.
• Bill Schiff is now senior vice president and chief operating officer of Novant Health Enterprises Management Service and chief payor officer for Novant Health.
• Michael Vacarro, DNP, takes on an expanded role as senior vice president, nursing and clinical services.
• Becky Bean, PharmD, assumes the expanded role of senior vice president, integrated care solutions.
• Alisha Hutchens has been named president, Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, Novant Health Medical Park Hospital and acute care operations for the Triad Region.
• Laurie Whalin, PharmD, is now president, Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center and acute care operations for the Coastal Region.

About Novant Health

Novant Health is an integrated network of more than 900 locations, including 19 hospitals, more than 750 physician clinics and urgent care centers, outpatient facilities, and imaging and pharmacy services. This network supports a seamless and personalized healthcare experience for communities in North Carolina and South Carolina. Novant Health is nationally recognized for our unwavering commitment to safety and the highest quality care, and we serve as a catalyst for healthcare transformation through clinical trials, leading-edge research, innovative care delivery models and robust virtual care networks. The expertise and empathy of our more than 40,000 team members along with more than 8,500 independent and employed clinicians are at the heart of Our Cause as industry leaders caring for communities across the Carolinas. In 2023, Novant Health provided more than $1.6 billion in community benefit, including financial assistance and services.

For more information, visit NovantHealth.org. Follow Novant Health on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.