Who: Benjamin Carter, 55
New role: CFO at CHE Trinity Health based in Livonia, Mich. CHE Trinity, which operates 86 hospitals across 21 states, is the result of the merger of Catholic Health East and Trinity Health that closed in May 2013. He will still have the title of executive VP of finance, which he has held since the merger.
Previous positions: Before the merger, he was senior VP and CFO of Trinity Health. He also served as executive VP and COO of Detroit Medical Center. Carter also spent nearly 20 years in executive-level positions, including CFO, at Oakwood Healthcare in Dearborn, Mich.
On his new role: “My main duty is to help guide and shepherd the organization through what is a pretty significant transition as we go from a volume-based, producer-centered base to a population health, people-centered base. The transition of going from one to the other is one that has to be done carefully so as to manage it in a financially responsible way.”
On his high-flying hobby: Carter is a private pilot and a flight instructor. “There is a strong parallel between aviation and flying and managing a healthcare organization. You have to pay attention to and manage your instruments, know what your key indicators are, plan ahead and assess variables, and be prepared to make changes along the way. But probably one of the most significant lessons from aviation is the use of checklists.”
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