John D'Angelo shares how he'll build on Michael Dowling's legacy while driving the system's next wave of transformation through a clinician's perspective.
When John D'Angelo took the reins of Northwell Health at the beginning of October, he stepped into the role with a deep appreciation for the foundation built by his predecessor, coupled with a determination to push the organization into its next era of transformation.
The longtime Northwell executive, who succeeded Michael Dowling as president and CEO after more than two decades under his leadership, brings a perspective grounded in both continuity and change. A physician by training and an emergency department veteran, D'Angelo has spent much of his career at Northwell watching the system grow from a regional hospital network into the Northeast's largest nonprofit health system.
That experience has given him a clear view of what has defined Northwell's success, as well as where it must continue to transform.
"One of the advantages of being a part of Northwell for many years is I truly have learned to appreciate what's really the core to our success," D'Angelo told HealthLeaders. "The real differentiator for Northwell, the soul of the organization is [Michael has] really aligned all 104,000 team members around our purpose and really has motivated people over the years to stay focused on the commitment of healthcare and the important role we all play."
That shared sense of purpose, D'Angelo noted, will remain his guiding principle. For him, every strategic decision starts with two questions: Are we doing the right thing for the patient? And are we doing the right thing for the people taking care of the patient? That dual focus, he believes, is what keeps a large and complex system like Northwell aligned.
At the same time, D'Angelo acknowledged that sustaining Northwell's success will require the same willingness to challenge convention that has long been part of the organization's DNA, describing Northwell as a system that has thrived because of its comfort with evolution.
"We're an organization that is constantly changing, constantly transforming, innovating and really challenging the status quo," he said. "The reason I've had success within the organization is I've been a very vocal and upfront change agent and have driven a lot of innovation and change in how we do things.
"Michael would agree that we've established under his leadership an amazing foundation that got us to an amazing point where we are today. But that's not necessarily what's going to get us where we need to be in the future to continue to differentiate ourselves."
Clinical Roots Shape a Steady Hand
That mindset has shaped D'Angelo's own leadership style, informed by his background as an emergency physician. That role, he highlighted, naturally trains you to make decisions amid uncertainty and lead through crisis.
"I kind of joked that this is probably why they picked an ED doc," he said. "As an emergency physician, you have to be really good at navigating uncertainty. You've got to be willing to make decisions and sometimes make decisions when you don't have all the data or intel you may need.
"Northwell has really stood out in that we are at our best when we're facing challenges, and we like to lead through challenge and not have our fate decided for us."
D'Angelo also believes his years on the frontlines give him a crucial perspective on leading a complex workforce at a time when burnout and turnover are deepening the disconnect between staff and leadership.
"Our frontline staff are getting overwhelmed with administrative burden that's actually keeping them from doing what they really went into this career to do," he said. "Having a physician executive that has been on the frontline, that understands not only the real value, but also the privilege we have of being the providers of care, and how sacred that is, gives you an appropriate lens to be looking through as we're navigating all these things that are impacting those providers."
That frontline awareness is reflected in D'Angelo's priorities, particularly around reimagining care delivery to address chronic disease and an aging population. He's focused on confronting those challenges earlier by addressing the behavioral, lifestyle, and social factors that contribute to declining health before patients ever reach the hospital.
"How we solve for all that and how we keep people healthier longer would head off a lot of the challenges we're going to see in the future, whether it's infrastructure, capacity, workforce," D'Angelo said. "We have to be much more aggressive in thinking differently about how we deliver care.
As D'Angelo prepares to lead Northwell into its next chapter, his vision of the path forward centers on transforming with intention, guided by the same values that have long defined the organization.
He said: "Build off the foundation, continue to push the envelope in how we continue to evolve."
Jay Asser is the CEO editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
John D'Angelo steps into the CEO role focused on maintaining Northwell Health's purpose-driven culture while pushing for continued innovation and change.
His experience as an emergency physician shapes his approach to leading through uncertainty and addressing workforce challenges.
One of his top priorities is to reimagine care delivery by tackling chronic disease and social determinants earlier to keep patients healthier and ease system strain.