Christopher "Chris" Cornue plans to take a broader, deeper view when it comes to planning and executing strategic initiatives in his new role.
Greensboro, North Carolina-based Cone Health announced this week that it has hired a new chief strategy officer.
Christopher "Chris" Cornue will lead the nonprofit health system's strategic and innovative endeavors to ensure the organization has a strong future in the North Carolina region and national marketplace.
"Strategic plans are the pathways to where an organization wants to go. However, it is vital that an organization understands how and why to follow that path," Mary Jo Cagle, MD, president and CEO of Cone Health, said in a statement. "Chris has the experience to successfully pair strategy with execution."
Cornue has extensive experience driving strategy and innovation. He recently served as executive vice president at The Health Management Academy, where he led the Center of Innovation. Prior to that, he served as an executive leader at Sg2, where he led the "Center for the Future" and the consulting practice.
He also has an extensive healthcare leadership background, and previously served as CEO of McKee Medical Center, a 132-bed hospital in Loveland Colorado, that is part of the Banner Health system.
According to his LinkedIn, Cornue has also served as chief strategy and innovation officer for Atrium Health Navicent, vice president for Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center, and executive administrator for University of Chicago Medicine. He also has experience serving as an advisor on boards and for different organizations.
According to the press release, Cornue will take a broader, deeper view when it comes to planning and executing strategic initiatives.
His appointment comes almost one year after Cone and Norfolk, Virginia-based Sentara Healthcare ended their affiliation plans after "mutually" deciding that the organizations would best serve their communities by remaining independent, according to Terry Akin, the previous CEO of Cone.
Just this past week, Cone and Novant Health, a healthcare provider based out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, signed a letter of intent to allow Novant "to make an investment in HealthTeam Advantage, Cone's Medicare Advantage Plan.
"Health systems need to understand the importance of leveraging new insights, ensuring all stakeholders have a voice, and seeking valuable strategic partnerships that allow them to more effectively address their missions and their strategic direction," Cornue said in a statement.
Melanie Blackman is a contributing editor for strategy, marketing, and human resources at HealthLeaders, an HCPro brand.