40 Under 40 - 2025

Cecilio Murillo has a plaque on his desk that reads, “It can be done.”

The can-do attitude has propelled him far in a healthcare industry in desperate need of change. He said he asks the same questions in each job role: How do we do this differently? How do we do it better?

Murillo joined the system then known as Dignity Health eight years ago, as director of clinic operations. In 2019, as he was working his way up to his current role, Dignity merged with Catholic Health Initiatives to form CommonSpirit Health.

The change brought technical complications. CommonSpirit is operating with at least 26 different electronic health records, Murillo said. It is working with Salesforce to feed information from the disparate systems through one platform for viewing. The tool went live about a year-and-a-half ago, with Murillo helping launch the most recent iteration — which combines five systems — in January. 

Murillo also helped roll out CommonSpirit’s patient connection centers, which supported about 6.5 million calls last year. The centers, which CommonSpirit said were a key driver for volume growth in fiscal 2024, serve as a single contact point for patients to schedule appointments, refill prescriptions and communicate with nurses.

For Murillo, pushing the boundaries of possibility is a big motivator.

“Why is our health system so complicated? Why can’t we just do things for our patients?” Murillo said. “I’m still naïve enough to think I can change the world.”

— Caroline Hudson