Business
Wellstar Selects Ketul J. Patel to Lead Next Chapter of PeopleCare
The Wellstar Board of Trustees has selected Ketul J. Patel to become Wellstar Health System's next president and chief executive officer. Patel currently serves as CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and president of the Pacific Northwest Region of CommonSpirit Health. He is expected to join Wellstar in late October.
About this update from Wellstar International Inc
[{"type":"text","content":"MARIETTA, Ga., July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wellstar Board of Trustees has selected Ketul J. Patel to become Wellstar Health System's next president and chief executive officer. Patel currently serves as CEO of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and president of the Pacific Northwest Region of CommonSpirit Health. He is expected to join Wellstar in late October.","length":375,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"image","alt":"Ketul J. Patel","displaySize":"","headline":null,"caption":"Ketul J. Patel","className":"","disableSlideshowImg":false,"size":{"original":{"width":400,"height":267,"url":"https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/67572d24b688ce77f54e4d53101e7911"},"resized":{"url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/JY0dABPLGOgk.jQBHnL.XA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTQ3MTtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/prnewswire.com/67572d24b688ce77f54e4d53101e7911","width":400,"height":267}},"href":"https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2726682/Wellstar_Health_System__Ketul_J_Patel.html","hrefExternal":true,"rel":"nofollow"},{"type":"text","content":"Patel will succeed Candice L. Saunders, Wellstar's current president and CEO, who announced her retirement in January following an exceptional career of service and accomplishment.","length":184,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":""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, who led the search committee. "Ketul stood out for his experience leading transformational growth while remaining focused on the needs of team members, patients, and the community."","length":443,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"In his current role, Patel is responsible for 12 hospitals, more than 300 patient care locations, and 20,000 team members, including more than 5,600 employed and affiliated providers.","length":183,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"In January 2021, Patel led the merger of two of the Pacific Northwest's leading health care organizations to form Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH), which today is one of Washington state's largest premier health care providers. Under Patel's leadership, VMFH became the only health system in Washington state to...