Get to know Pete McCanna

Pete McCanna is chief executive officer of Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest not-for-profit health system in Texas.

The system’s integrated delivery network includes Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform, MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,100 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.

As CEO, McCanna leads the health system’s transformation to deliver experiences that go beyond customers’ traditional expectations of healthcare. 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 Board of Governors of 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.