Local leader who oversaw major health system merger is leaving for new role
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Ketul Patel named next CEO of Georgia-based Wellstar Health System.
- Patel helped lead merger forming Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.
- VMFH says Patel will help in transition as it seeks new leader.
The local medical executive who led Tacoma’s CHI Franciscan Health through its merger with Seattle-based Virginia Mason is moving on.
On July 8, Marietta, Georgia-based Wellstar Health System announced that Ketul Patel, currently chief executive officer of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and president, Northwest Region of CommonSpirit Health, will become Wellstar’s next president and CEO.
Wellstar’s Board of Trustees is expected to confirm the selection later this month; Patel is expected to join the health system in late October.
Patel succeeds Candice Saunders, Wellstar’s current president and CEO, who announced her retirement in January.
In January 2021, Patel oversaw the completion of the merger of CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason to become Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. The two systems operate as part of CommonSpirit Health, based in Chicago.
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CHI Franciscan became part of CommonSpirit Health’s network in 2019 when CHI (Catholic Health Initiatives) and Dignity Health aligned to form CommonSpirit.
Patel at VMFH currently oversees 12 hospitals, more than 300 patient care locations, and 20,000 team members, including more than 5,600 employed and affiliated providers.
VMFH has been in the news most recently for layoffs and local lab changeovers.
In early June, a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the state of Washington listed layoffs affecting 116 workers tied to VMFH’s virtual services and administrative functions.
Chad Melton, VMFH’s interim president, Puget Sound Market, said at the time that VMFH, “like health care systems across the country,” is facing significant financial pressures “including rising labor and supply costs, increasing claim denials and chronic underpayment from government programs.”
In late June, the system ended its partnership with Labcorp in south King and Pierce County Patient Service Centers, transitioning the labs to be run in-house.
Wellstar includes 33,000 team members, more than 400 locations including 11 hospitals, and provides more than $1 billion annually in charity care and community programs.
It operates the largest integrated trauma network in Georgia, according to the release.
“We were fortunate to consider nearly 200 outstanding candidates from across the health care industry, including several strong internal leaders who reflect Wellstar’s deep talent,” said former Wellstar Board of Trustees Chair Frank Ros in a July 8 news release. “Ketul stood out for his experience leading transformational growth while remaining focused on the needs of team members, patients, and the community.”
Patel was named CEO of CHI Franciscan Health and senior vice president of Divisional Operations for the Pacific Northwest Region of CHI in December 2014.
“It’s an honor to join the Wellstar team and help carry forward its mission of providing compassionate, world-class care to every person, every time,” Patel said in the July 8 release. “I’m excited about the potential created by Wellstar’s forward-thinking investments in technology and innovation, strategic partnerships with academic organizations such as Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia, and its strong reputation as a great place to work.”
He added that he looked forward “to becoming engaged in the metro Atlanta community and working alongside policymakers to expand access to care throughout Georgia.”
VMFH congratulated Patel in a statement shared July 8 with The News Tribune via email. It stated that Patel’s last day with the health system will be Oct. 25.
“Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is grateful for Ketul’s visionary leadership across the Northwest Region for the past 10 years. ... As we begin a national search for the next CEO, Ketul will partner closely with our leadership team to ensure a smooth transition.”
The News Tribune archives contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 1:16 PM.
