With health AI and other digital innovations further entrenching themselves into the delivery of medical care, physicians and other health care leaders around the country are stepping up to help deliver on the promise of fast-moving innovations to reshape medicine in a positive direction.
To recognize ongoing work and other key areas with major implications for physicians and for patient care, hospital and health system CEOs, federal officials, administrators, chief health officers and other health care executives were named to Modern Healthcare’s 2025 list of the 100 most influential people in health care.
The honorees were nominated by their peers and voted on by readers and senior editors of Modern Healthcare, a widely read Chicago-based trade publication covering the health care industry.
Among them was the AMA CEO and Executive Vice President John Whyte, MD, MPH.
“Dr. Whyte took the helm of the AMA in July, setting a new strategic direction focused on supporting physicians and advancing physician-led innovation in artificial intelligence,” the editors of modern Healthcare noted, referencing the recently launched AMA Center for Digital Health and AI.
The new AMA center will address four key areas that are pivotal to the long-term success of digital health and augmented intelligence (AI):
- Policy and regulatory leadership—working with regulators, policymakers and technology leaders to shape benchmarks for safe and effective use of AI in medicine and digital health tools.
- Clinical workflow integration—creating opportunities for physicians to shape AI and digital tools so they work within clinical workflows and enhance patient and clinician experience.
- Education and training—equipping physicians and health systems with knowledge and tools to integrate AI efficiently and effectively into practice.
- Collaboration—building partnerships across the tech, research, government and health care sectors to drive innovation aligned with patient needs.
From AI implementation to digital health adoption and EHR usability, the AMA is fighting to make technology work for physicians, ensuring that it is an asset to doctors.
Modern Healthcare’s editors noted that Dr. Whyte also “launched initiatives to diversify AMA’s financial structure and maximize collaboration by reducing internal silos. He has also sought to position the AMA as a leading voice on public health, chronic disease and nutrition science, driving a 51% increase in media impressions and a fivefold rise in social engagement in his first three months on the job. Under his leadership, AMA membership has reached a record high.”
Also named to the Modern Healthcare list were leaders of organizations that are part of the AMA Health System Member Program, which provides enterprise solutions to equip leadership, physicians and care teams with resources to help drive the future of medicine. The six health systems are listed here in alphabetical order.
HCA Healthcare
Sam Hazen, CEO of HCA Healthcare, was among the Modern Healthcare honorees. Hazen has led HCA Healthcare, which operates 190 hospitals in 20 states, since 2019. The Nashville, Tennessee-headquartered organization has 44,000 active and affiliated physicians.
In 2025, Hazen “steered the team through obstacles as varied as declining surgery volumes, rising specialist fees and ongoing consequences from multiple hurricanes,” Modern Healthcare’s editors noted. Despite challenging shifts in the U.S. health system, Hazen said he has plans to focus on growing the health system’s footprint in the ambulatory surgical center space.
Henry Ford Health
CEO Robert G. Riney was cited for his leadership in Henry Ford Health’s “$3.3 billion endeavor—with Michigan State University [MSU], the Detroit Pistons and the Gilbert Family Foundation—to overhaul its main campus, among other capital improvements.” Also in 2025, the health system “announced a $10 million venture fund with MSU and the MSU Research Foundation to invest in early-stage health care companies.”
Ochsner Health
In 2025, CEO Pete November “has prioritized using technology to promote efficiency and reduce clinician burnout. For instance, the integration of artificial intelligence into the electronic health record has eliminated 700,000 messages and saved physicians 22 minutes daily,” the Modern Healthcare listing says. “The 47-hospital system said the initiative cut 11 million clicks in a single quarter.” In addition, November has led the rollout of a “Target Zero” initiative, “achieving a 50% reduction in preventable harm” to patients.
Rush University System for Health
Also landing on the list was Omar Lateef, DO. He is CEO of Rush University System for Health and also the president and CEO of Rush University Medical Center. In 2025, Rush “announced a direct-to-consumer telehealth offering, Rush Connect+. It was one of the first legacy systems to do so in a market crowded with tech and retail companies,” Modern Healthcare’s editors noted.
Rush in 2025 “opened two outpatient facilities and a comprehensive cancer care center in the Chicago area” and continued to support West Side United. The AMA also is a West Side United anchor mission partner, having invested $5 million in the effort since 2020.
Sanford Health
CEO Bill Gassen has made the list several times. Under his leadership last year, Sanford Health—already the country’s largest rural health system—completed its merger with Marshfield Clinic Health System, “resulting in a single 56-hospital system that employs 4,500 clinicians and includes two health plans,” says the Modern Healthcare list.
Sanford Health, which is headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, also has “moved to acquire Lewis Drug, a pharmacy and retail chain with five dozen locations in South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.” In late 2024, the health system opened a $40 million virtual care center and Sanford Health now offers virtual care across 78 physician specialties.
Sutter Health
Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Northern California-based Sutter Health, was recognized for “guiding the 27-hospital health system through a period of industry change with a focus on expanding access, driving innovation and supporting workforce well-being.”
From 2024 to 2025, the health system has “opened 17 ambulatory sites” and added thousands of physicians. Sutter Health “also saw a 27% increase in online scheduling while reducing employee turnover by 12%,” the Modern Healthcare listing says.
Explore the full Modern Healthcare list of the 100 most influential people in health care.
