Large US Health Systems Struggle to Fill CIO Vacancies

The lack of permanent IT leadership forces health systems to rely on interim managers and costly executive searches.

Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Healthcare

Bold flat-color editorial illustration showing a monolithic stone plinth in a corridor, conveying structural uncertainty in institutional healthcare leadership. — Large U.S. health systems are struggling to fill CIO roles, with 17 of the 200 largest organizations currently lacking permanent technology leadership. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Does high executive turnover in local health systems concern you regarding the quality of care?

As of late September 2026, 17 of the 200 largest health systems in the United States operate without a permanent chief information officer. This turnover underscores a broader instability in top-level healthcare technology leadership as organizations struggle with succession planning.

Why it matters

The high vacancy rate reflects intense competition for digital leadership as systems move technology chiefs between organizations. With succession planning still rare, this turnover risks stalling digital initiatives and increasing reliance on costly interim leadership or external search firms.

Seventeen of the 200 largest health systems currently lack a permanent CIO, while only 39% of all healthcare organizations reported having a formal succession plan in 2024. The churn is significant, with 53% of current CIOs having assumed their roles within the last three years.

The players

Tenet Healthcare

A major operator of hospitals and outpatient centers throughout the United States.

Paola Arbour

The current CIO at Tenet Healthcare who has led technology operations for the organization since 2018.

Ardent Health

A healthcare provider managing hospitals and clinics across multiple states.

Wellstar Health System

A large, non-profit health system based in Georgia.

Michigan Medicine

The academic medical center of the University of Michigan.

The details

Health systems frequently bridge these leadership gaps by appointing internal staff to serve as interim CIOs while contracting executive search firms to identify external candidates. Departures are often driven by CIOs moving to different digital or IT roles at other health organizations. The lack of standardized succession planning creates significant operational uncertainty when these high-level transitions occur.

September 2025: Jeffrey Sturman left Memorial Healthcare System.
January 2026: Anika Gardenhire departed Ardent Health.
June 2026: Bill Bellando and Keith Rivera transitioned to new roles.
Late September 2026: 17 of the largest health systems lacked a permanent CIO.
End of 2026: Paola Arbour will retire from Tenet Healthcare.

Market Landscape

The current wave of turnover reflects a broader pattern of instability documented by the 2024 healthcare industry CIO succession planning rate. This trend marks a departure from stable executive tenures as systems compete for talent in an increasingly digitized market.

Systems operating without permanent leadership should expect increased reliance on interim managers and potential delays in long-term technology roadmaps. Leaders should prioritize formalizing succession plans to minimize the disruption caused by the rapid turnover prevalent in the current market.

The takeaway

The high prevalence of vacant CIO positions suggests that executive transitions are now a constant feature of healthcare operations. Operators should track the turnover rate within their own peer groups to benchmark their internal succession readiness.

What happens next

Paola Arbour is scheduled to retire from her CIO role at Tenet Healthcare at the end of 2026, transitioning to a non-executive role through April 1, 2028.