Leadership Lessons from Humboldt Park Health CEO José Sánchez

When José Sánchez first arrived at Humboldt Park Health (then Norwegian American Hospital) in Chicago in 2010, the 200-bed safety-net hospital was struggling to treat an underserved population with limited resources. However, with Sánchez as president and CEO, Hispanic Executive reports that the organization has closed in the black for 14 consecutive years, despite Medicaid accounting for approximately 75% of its revenue. It has set the “gold standard” for safety-net hospitals nationwide with its achievements in quality, innovation, patient experience and community health.

Sánchez has described how his leadership approach connects financial stability, minimizing disparities in health outcomes and expanded community services.

1 | Make reducing disparities in outcomes a strategic priority.

Sánchez has made minimizing disparities in health outcomes a central component of his leadership strategy. His team uses data on social determinants of health to inform interventions, including food distribution.

2 | Think beyond the hospital walls.

When Sánchez took the reins, he didn’t just want to stabilize the hospital. “I needed to save the community,” he said during a recent AHA event.

The name change from Norwegian American to Humboldt Park Health reflected his dedication to serving the surrounding neighborhoods with projects like a 45,500‑square‑foot Wellness Center that opened in January 2025. The center offers rehabilitation services, educational nutrition and exercise programs and other amenities that support community health; most members are Humboldt Park residents.

3 | Never stop learning.

Given how fast the healthcare ecosystem evolves, welcoming new ideas and willingness to learn are vital. “Just keep learning every day if you want to be relevant . . . no matter how old you are,” Sánchez advised.