HSHS President, CEO Damond Boatwright named 2026 ‘Great Leader in Healthcare’

Damond Boatwright, Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) President and CEO was recently recognized as Becker’s Hospital Review 2026 “Great Leaders in Healthcare.”

The executives featured on this year’s list are proactive changemakers, setting the tone from the top by defining the strategic direction, shaping the culture and embodying the mission that flows through every department, every decision, and every patient or client interaction.

Boatwright has served as the top executive at HSHS since 2021, leading colleagues in serving nearly 2.6 million people across Illinois and Wisconsin. During his tenure, Boatwright has demonstrated a commitment to using his voice to influence positive change in healthcare.

He is a vocal champion of the importance of rural hospitals and recently authored several op-eds in national publications, sharing how proposed Medicaid cuts would affect the most vulnerable populations. He appealed to legislators to maintain federal funding commitments for the Medicaid program to prevent structural changes that would rob coverage from those in need, especially in rural populations.

“Damond is an exceptional leader, not only for our colleagues, but for the communities we serve throughout Illinois and Wisconsin,” said HSHS Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Kathy Donovan. “His heart follows after the very spirit of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis who came before us. They believed healthcare should always be grounded in dignity, compassion, service and hope, which aligns perfectly with Damond’s unwavering passion for advocating on behalf of rural communities, health equity and social justice. We are fortunate to have his visionary leadership guiding our healthcare system into the future.”

This is the second year in a row that Boatwright has been named to the Great Leaders in Healthcare list. He has also been named consecutively, in 2024 and 2025, to Becker’s Top Hospital and Health System CEO Influencers for being a leading voice in championing rural healthcare and defending Medicaid funding to protect access for vulnerable communities.

The Becker’s Hospital Review editorial team accepted nominations and conducted editorial research to compile this list. The full list features individual profiles of all leaders, and can be read here.

For more information about HSHS, visit hshs.org.

Note: This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included leaders or associated healthcare providers. Leaders and organizations cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Leaders’ names are presented in alphabetical order, by category.

 

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Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) is a nonprofit Catholic health care ministry founded in 1875. Dedicated to its Mission to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through high-quality Franciscan health care, HSHS clinicians provide exceptional care centered on the whole person. Based in Springfield, Ill., HSHS colleagues provide care in 13 acute-care, children’s and critical access hospitals and home health and hospice programs in central and southern Illinois, and eastern Wisconsin. HSHS is aligned with primary and specialty physicians and advanced practitioners through its owned affiliates HSHS Medical Group and Prairie Cardiovascular, its partnership with Prevea Health, and with many other providers serving on medical staffs. For more information about HSHS, visit hshs.org.

Becker’s Healthcare is the go-to source for healthcare decision-makers and one of the fastest growing media platforms in the industry. Through print, digital and live event platforms, Becker’s Healthcare equips healthcare leaders with information and forums they need to learn, exchange ideas and further conversations about the most critical issues in American healthcare today.