“You have to be able to care for the whole person and everything they need along their healthcare journey.”
Pete McCanna
CEO, Baylor Scott & White Health
McCanna is leading transformation at the largest not-for-profit health system in Texas.
Baylor Scott & White is dedicated to delivering experiences that go beyond customers’ traditional expectations of healthcare—making it more accessible, easier to navigate and more personalized. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care, as well as an array of virtual and in-home services. The system’s integrated delivery network also includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance, and its leading digital health platform, MyBSWHealth.
Before becoming CEO, he served as Baylor Scott & White’s president, where he advanced clinical alignment, accelerated the development of its digital health strategy, and expanded academic affiliations to help address the critical need for clinicians in Texas.
Previously, McCanna served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at Northwestern Medicine. During his tenure, operating revenue, quality, patient experience, and employee engagement exceeded targets. He was instrumental in Northwestern’s expansion as it maintained its AA+ bond rating.
McCanna has nearly 35 years of experience in healthcare management and consulting. Prior to joining Northwestern, he served as chief financial officer (CFO) at Presbyterian Healthcare Services in New Mexico and CFO at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver. Earlier in his career, he worked for Denver Health and as a healthcare consultant for The Lewin Group.
He currently serves on the boards of University of Michigan Health, the Texas Hospital Association, and Catholic Extension. McCanna holds a master’s degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan.
Thought leadership
A diverse skill set
“The intersection of consumerism and new technological tools demands a new destination for healthcare where the customer must be at the center.”
Leading Transformation Through Empowered Patients and Employees
"You’ve got to empower employees, they have to feel the purpose, and they have to have the tools and the capabilities to be able to eliminate those pain points for a customer."
Dallas Regional Chamber: Frontline healthcare heroes inspire me
Speaking about COVID: “If we can solve these problems on the fly, we can do anything, and I think that’s a positive platform to work from.”
In the media
What a paper route taught Baylor Scott & White's CEO about business
Baylor Scott & White expands in Texas with joint ownership of 41 urgent care clinics
Baylor’s partner in the venture, NextCare, will continue to manage the clinics
Educating within: How Baylor Scott & White is using training to confront staffing issues
The hospital system started a free continuing education program for employees to lower barriers to professional development