50 Most Influential Physician Executives – 2016

Dr. David Pryor, 64, joined the nation's largest Catholic health system more than a decade ago after executive-level roles at health systems in the Midwest and Northeast. The cardiologist is chief clinical officer of Ascension, an organization with roughly 40,000 doctors and other caregivers. He was formerly CEO of Ascension's physician service organization and was chief medical officer of Ascension Health prior to that. During his tenure with Ascension, the system has grown and diversified, adding physicians and expanding its reach into health insurance. His work extends beyond health system operations into research (he has authored research papers, specifically work on improving care for cardiology patients and served on journal editorial boards) and industry oversight (he is an adviser to the Joint Commission).