Persichilli retiring from CHE Trinity

Who: Judith Persichilli

Retiring from: CHE Trinity Health, Livonia, Mich., as of May 1. Persichilli was named president emeritus and special adviser to the Catholic healthcare system in November 2013 after serving as its interim CEO beginning last May. As president and CEO of Catholic Health East from 2010 to 2013, Persichilli led the merger of CHE with Trinity Health.

Previous roles: Persichilli has spent her entire four-decade career in Catholic healthcare. Before being promoted to CEO in 2010, she served as CHE’s executive VP and COO, and executive VP of acute care. She also spent eight years as CEO of CHE-member St. Francis Medical Center, Trenton, N.J., where she began her career as a nurse.

Bias toward clinical background: “I feel strongly that leaders with clinical backgrounds have the requisite skills to reform a healthcare system safely… I have a bias about leaders with clinical backgrounds because it’s helped shape decisions I’ve made about my career and decisions I’ve made as a leader.”

Lessons on listening: “This is a great time to be innovative and creative in how we take care of communities. Always think first of what you can do to make the community better, and get outside of your comfort zone. But while you’re doing it, close your mouth and open up your ears. We need to listen better in healthcare.”