50 Most Influential Physician Executives – 2016
Rank: 24
Ram Raju
President and CEO, New York City Health and Hospitals Corp
Dr. Ram Raju arrived at NYC Health & Hospitals two years ago to become chief executive of a system damaged by Superstorm Sandy and in the early months of insurance expansion under the Affordable Care Act. As the system continued to rebuild from the storm, Raju, 65, embarked on a plan to revamp the public hospital system's business model. He has staked the system's fortune on its ability to compete for newly insured patents and the execution of a costly strategy to upgrade NYC Health & Hospitals' information technology. The gamble has made headlines with deficits projected to grow. Raju, previously president and CEO of the Cook County Health & Hospitals System in Chicago, where he also grappled with deficits, has been a public and staunch defender of the strategy.