Endeavor Health Ventures

Dave Rahija is President of Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital and serves as the Endeavor Health Neurosciences Institute and Surgical Services Executive. He joined the organization in 2009 through NorthShore University HealthSystem, holding roles including President of Endeavor Health Skokie Hospital and President of Endeavor Health Medical Group Operations, and previously worked at Sinai Health System and Sherman Health after starting his career as a physical therapist. He holds a bachelor's degree in exercise science and a master's in physical therapy from Saint Louis University and an MBA in healthcare management from DePaul University.

Deb Anderson is Chief Information Officer at Endeavor Health, where she leads the organization's technology strategy and IT infrastructure, including systems and EPIC platform integration. She previously held senior leadership roles at Fortune 100 companies and startups, including IBM, Abbott Labs, and Motorola, and launched an early virtual health platform. She holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BS in Electrical Engineering Technology from DeVry University.

Dianna Sparacino is Chief People Officer at Endeavor Health, where she leads human resources and has overseen the integration of multiple organizational cultures into a single system. She has over 25 years of global HR experience, previously serving as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at NorthShore University Health System, Vice President of Global Human Resources at Univar, and in leadership roles at Molex, Inc. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Northwestern University.

Doug Welday is the Chief Financial Officer of Endeavor Health, where he sets the system's financial strategy, capital planning and investment approach, and oversees revenue cycle operations, supply chain, payer contracting and investment management. He joined NorthShore University HealthSystem as CFO in 2018 and previously served as Senior Vice President of Finance at Spectrum Health and in leadership roles including CFO and COO at Oakwood Health System. He is a CPA with a bachelor's degree in accounting from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Gabrielle Cummings-Johnson is President of Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital and the senior operations executive for Endeavor Health's NorthShore Hospitals group (Evanston, Glenbrook, Highland Park and Skokie), also leading its Cancer service line. She joined the organization as an Administrative Fellow in 2002 and previously served as President of Highland Park Hospital and in senior roles at Evanston and Glenbrook Hospitals; earlier she worked as a medical services underwriter at St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance. She holds a bachelor's degree in healthcare management from Florida A&M University and a master's in health administration from the University of Minnesota.

Gina Sharp leads Endeavor Health Linden Oaks Hospital and serves as System Executive for the Behavioral Health service line, overseeing inpatient beds and outpatient behavioral health programs. She began at Edward Hospital & Health Services in 1999 in finance, became Controller at Linden Oaks in 2004, and was named CEO of Linden Oaks in 2013. She holds a BS in Community Health and Health Administration from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from DePaul University, and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Gus Granchalek is President of Skokie Hospital and leads the Endeavor Health Digestive Health service line. He joined the organization in 2019 through NorthShore University HealthSystem and held leadership roles across surgical services, gastroenterology, and anesthesia, contributing to the launch of the Endeavor Health Cardiovascular Institute and Orthopaedic and Spine Institute. He previously held leadership positions at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and began his career in operations and supply chain consulting; he holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and an economics degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Joe Dant is Chief Growth Officer at Endeavor Health, where he leads growth strategy, business development, and oversight of the system's joint ventures, philanthropy, and patient experience. He has more than 33 years in healthcare, previously serving as President of the South Region and Institutes and as President and CEO of Edward Hospital, and has held roles in the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries as well as service as a U.S. Naval officer. He holds a bachelor's degree in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Benedictine University.

John Tressa is System Chief Nurse Executive at Endeavor Health, overseeing nursing across nine hospitals and 300+ sites of care, a role he took after joining the organization in 2018. He previously held CNO, COO, and CEO positions at healthcare organizations in Houston, Texas, most recently as System Senior Vice President for heart and vascular and trauma service lines at Memorial Hermann Healthcare System. He holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Northern Kentucky University along with degrees from the University of St. Francis, Olivet Nazarene University, and American Sentinel University, and is board certified as a Nurse Executive Advanced.

Katie McGovern is President of Endeavor Health Medical Group Operations, where she oversees strategy, operational alignment, and financial management for Endeavor Health Medical Group. She previously served as EHMG System Vice President for Primary Care, Immediate Care, Occupational Health, and related medical group operations, and has more than 25 years of healthcare experience. She holds a bachelor's degree in accountancy from Northern Illinois University.

Kimberley Darey is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who serves as President of Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital, overseeing hospital operations, workforce initiatives, and patient care. Since joining the Elmhurst Hospital medical staff in 2010, she has held roles including Medical Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chief Medical Officer, and Vice President of Medical Affairs, and has led clinical quality initiatives in maternal and newborn care. She earned her medical degree from Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University and an MBA from UMass Amherst's Isenberg School of Management.

Kristen Murtos is Chief Innovation & Transformation Officer at Endeavor Health, overseeing strategy, innovation, transformation, community impact, and government relations after more than 23 years at the organization. She previously served as Chief Administrative and Strategy Officer of NorthShore University HealthSystem before its 2022 merger with Edward-Elmhurst Health, and earlier advised clients on M&A and growth strategy at Deloitte Consulting. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois and MBA and public policy master's degrees from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Lakshmi Halasyamani serves as System Chief Clinical Officer at Endeavor Health, where she previously held roles including Chief Quality and Transformation Officer and Chief Medical Officer. She earned her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and is certified in LEAN and Six Sigma Black Belt methodologies. In 2013, she received the Michigan Health and Hospital Association's Keystone Center Patient Safety and Quality Leadership Award.

Lucy Kim is the inaugural Chief Development Officer at Endeavor Health, where she leads philanthropic strategy across the system's five local Foundations. She previously served as Chief Advancement Officer for Chicago Public Media, Vice President of Development at the Brookings Institution, and held leadership roles at Harvard University for 15 years. She holds a Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Master of Music from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a Bachelor of Music from Boston University.

Maria Knecht, MSN, is President of Endeavor Health Glenbrook Hospital since January 2024, overseeing the Capacity Management Center, Centralized Staffing Office, and System Lab Services. She previously served as the hospital's Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President and held senior leadership roles at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth GlenOaks and Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. A nurse for 37 years, she holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Loyola University Chicago and is board certified as a Nurse Executive.

Neil Freedman is a clinician board certified in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine, and serves as President of Specialty Care for Endeavor Health Medical Group, along with a role as Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He previously held several leadership positions at NorthShore University Health System, including President of NorthShore Medical Group and division head of pulmonary and critical care medicine. He earned his medical degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and completed his training at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Nikki Fernandez is President of Endeavor Health Highland Park Hospital and Chief Nursing Officer for the Evanston, Glenbrook, Highland Park, and Skokie hospitals, having joined the organization in 1998 with prior nursing and operational leadership roles at Skokie, Glenbrook, and Evanston hospitals. She began her career at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and later worked in South Florida, where she directed a home health agency and served as a legal nurse consultant. She holds a Bachelor's from Carlow University, a Master of Science from North Park University, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Chamberlain University, and is board certified as an Advanced Nurse Executive.

Sean O'Grady is System President of Acute and Ambulatory Operations at Endeavor Health, Illinois' third largest health system, where he leads operations across the system's hospitals and ambulatory network. He has more than two decades of experience in academic, specialty, and community-based healthcare settings. O'Grady holds a master's degree in healthcare administration from The University of Iowa and a bachelor's degree from Bradley University.

Shivani Bautista, JD, is Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for Endeavor Health, overseeing legal matters, compliance, enterprise risk management, and the system's insurance programs, and advising boards on corporate governance and strategic transactions. She joined NorthShore University HealthSystem in 2018 and helped build the organization's systemwide legal and compliance infrastructure, including establishing its integrated Compliance, Legal, Insurance, and Enterprise Risk team. She holds a JD from Georgetown University Law Center and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Chicago.

Sue Nelson is a board-certified internal medicine physician focused on population health, prevention, wellness, and chronic disease management. She served as NCH's Medical Director System of Care (2012-2014) and led the NCH Medical Group as Vice President Physician Operations (2014-2023), growing it from 50 to over 325 providers, before becoming Executive Vice President Physician Operations in 2023. She earned her M.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago and completed an internal medicine residency at Lutheran General Hospital.

Yvette Saba is President of Endeavor Health Edward Hospital and System Executive for the Endeavor Health Cardiovascular Institute, having joined Edward Hospital in 1999 and held roles including System Vice President of Operations and Associate Vice President of Clinical Operations for Edward-Elmhurst Health. She previously served as Administrative Director of Cardiovascular Services at Loyola University Medical Center and has more than 30 years of nursing leadership experience. She holds a nursing bachelor's from St. Louis University, a nursing master's from Rush University, and an MBA from Loyola University, and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.