Dr. Darryl Elmouchi has been named Providence’s next chief operating officer, effective Jan. 2.
Elmouchi will replace current Providence COO Erik Wexler, who will become president and CEO at the nonprofit system Jan. 1. In the COO role, Elmouchi will oversee operations, care delivery and performance improvement initiatives, according to a Tuesday news release.
Related: Providence's next CEO outlines path to financial turnaround
In 2023, Elmouchi was named COO at Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Corewell Health, a 21-hospital system with more than 300 outpatient locations and a health plan covering 1.3 million members. Prior to that, he was president of Corewell Health West for three years. Elmouchi, a trained cardiac electrophysiologist, also held leadership roles at Spectrum Health, which merged with Beaumont Health in 2022 to form Corewell.
Elmouchi was not made available for an interview Tuesday.
Renton, Washington-based Providence operates 51 hospitals and 1,100 physician clinics across seven states. Tuesday’s announcement is one of multiple shifts in the health system's leadership team in recent months. In May, President and CEO Dr. Rod Hochman announced his retirement at the end of the year. Former Chief Information Officer BJ Moore stepped down in late September, and the health system is searching for a replacement.
Financial challenges such as rising expenses and low reimbursement rates have stifled Providence’s operating performance, leading to a $6 billion net loss in 2022 and a $596 million loss in 2023. Incoming President and CEO Erik Wexler said earlier this month he expects Providence operations to break even by 2026.
The health system reported $289 million in net income during the first six months of 2024.
