50 Most Influential Physician Executives – 2017
Rank: 6
David Shulkin
Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Dr. David Shulkin was nominated to serve as the ninth secretary of the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department and was confirmed by the Senate in February 2017. Prior to his confirmation, Shulkin served as the VA's undersecretary for health, leading the nation's largest integrated healthcare system and played a leading role in working to improve access for veterans after the agency came under fire for quality issues and lengthy waiting times. He previously held several CEO roles, including at Morristown (N.J.) Medical Center and Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. Other leadership roles included serving as chief medical officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia and the Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital.