Christine Candio named next CEO of St. Luke's in Missouri

Who: Christine Candio, 53

New role: President and CEO of St. Luke's Hospital, Chesterfield, Mo., effective in January, replacing Gary Olson, who is retiring after 36 years at St. Luke's. For the past six years, she has served as CEO of Inova Alexandria (Va.) Hospital and senior VP of Inova Health System. In March, she began a one-year term as chair of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Priorities in the new job: “I want to get to know the staff, the physicians and the community. Going in, it's what I call a listening tour.”

Challenges posed by reform: “We need to ask, 'How do we become more efficient without compromising quality, safety and the patient experience?' That's the affordability piece. How do we look at things and decrease the waste?”

Reflecting on her nursing background: “Having a clinical background has really enhanced me as a leader. I can relate to the clinical staff. I understand the challenges that they face, so that has been a tremendous asset to me as a leader.”

On Ebola preparedness: “Every organization needs to understand the Ebola crisis and be prepared. Our emergency departments are our front lines, and we are all training our staff to ensure we keep them safe so they can deliver care to patients.”