Providence named Chief Operating Officer Erik Wexler its next president and CEO, effective Jan. 1.
Wexler will succeed Dr. Rod Hochman, who in May announced he will be retiring after 11 years. He said he expects to continue the health system's turn-around efforts. Providence has not named a replacement COO and is evaluating how those responsibilities will be handled, Wexler said.
Related: Providence President and CEO Rod Hochman to retire
Wexler joined Providence in 2016 as regional chief executive for Providence Southern California. In 2020, he became the president of operations and strategy for Providence’s southern region, before being promoted to COO in 2022.
Renton, Washington-based Providence operates 51 hospitals and more than 1,000 other care sites across seven states.
Wexler faces a tough situation as he seeks to right the ship at Providence.
The health system has battled inflation, labor shortages and delayed reimbursements, which contributed to a $6 billion net loss in 2022, factoring in its split from Hoag, and a $596 million loss in 2023. Providence has sought to improve its financial situation by consolidating operations and leadership roles, decreasing reliance on contract workers and diversifying revenue sources.
Last week, Providence said it was alerting more than 2,000 patients about exposure to possible infections, including HIV and hepatitis B and C.
In April, a jury awarded more than $98 million to Providence employees as part of a class-action lawsuit alleging the health system denied meal breaks and failed to compensate for time worked. In February, Providence agreed to refund $21 million in medical bills to 34,000 low-income patients in Washington and erase $137 million in outstanding medical debt for about 65,000 patients to settle a state lawsuit alleging the system overcharged patients and used aggressive collection practices.
Wexler helped lead the Providence-St. Joseph Health integration and helped form a joint venture with Cedars-Sinai Health System to operate Los Angeles-based Tarzana Medical Center. Wexler also oversaw Providence’s organizational restructuring in 2022, in which the health system consolidated its seven regions into three divisions.
"I was, obviously as the chief operating officer, very much a part of our renewal and recovery efforts," Wexler said. "We've got to keep our heads down and continue to deliver on the commitments that we are making to our communities and all those that we serve."
His priorities include reducing administrative burden on caregivers, holding commercial payers more accountable for pay rates that keep up with inflation and pushing for health equity in underserved areas.
Prior to Providence, Wexler spent five years at Tenet Healthcare, and was the Dallas-based system's chief executive of the northeast region prior to his exit.
Wexler serves on boards for the American Hospital Association, the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and revenue cycle management company R1, according to a Wednesday news release. A spokesperson said he will continue those board roles.
