Advocate Health Care COO William Santulli to Chair Illinois Health and Hospital Association Board in 2018

Downers Grove, IL—William “Bill” Santulli, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Advocate Health Care, has assumed the role of chair of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association’s (IHA) 2018 Board of Trustees, as of January 1. The Board of Trustees is the policymaking body for the Association, representing more than 200 hospitals and nearly 50 health systems across Illinois.

“Our members understand that this is a critical moment in shaping a health care delivery model for the future, and I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and work with the best in our industry to help lead the change,” said Santulli. “It’s a true honor to take on this role supporting the IHA’s mission to expand access to quality care and improve health outcomes all across the state.”

“Bill has a wealth of experience and a keen understanding of key policy issues that will make him an excellent board chair,” said A.J. Wilhelmi, IHA President and CEO. “He is well respected by hospital and health system leaders throughout the state, and his visionary and steady leadership will ensure we continue to advance optimal health and health care in Illinois.”

Previously, Santulli was the chief executive at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. Before that, he was the chief operating officer of New England Medical Center in Boston. He has also served in key leadership positions with Iowa Health System in Des Moines, Unihealth America in Los Angeles and Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington.

Santulli holds a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, a master’s degree in sociology/health services research from the University of Florida in Gainesville and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend.

About Advocate Health Care

Advocate Health Care is the largest health system in Illinois and one of the largest health care providers in the Midwest. A national leader in population health management, Advocate is one of the largest Accountable Care Organizations in the country. Advocate operates nearly 400 sites of care and 12 hospitals, including two of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals, the state’s largest integrated children’s network, five Level I trauma centers (the state’s highest designation in trauma care), three Level II trauma centers, one of the area’s largest home health and hospice companies and one of the region’s largest medical groups. Advocate Health Care trains more primary care physicians and residents at its four teaching hospitals than any other health system in the state. As a not-for-profit, mission-based health system affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ, Advocate contributed $692 million in charitable care and services to communities across Chicagoland and Central Illinois in 2016.

About IHA

The Illinois Health and Hospital Association, with offices in Chicago, Naperville, Springfield, and Washington, D.C., advocates for Illinois' more than 200 hospitals and nearly 50 health systems as they serve their patients and communities. IHA members provide a broad range of services—not just within their walls, but across the continuum of healthcare and in their communities. Reflecting the diversity of the state, IHA members consist of nonprofit, investor-owned and public hospitals in the following categories: community, safety net, rural, critical access, specialty, and teaching hospitals, including academic medical centers. For more information, see www.team-iha.org. Like IHA on Facebook. Follow IHA on Twitter.