President, UCLA Health,
CEO, UCLA Hospital System,
Associate Vice Chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences
UCLA Health
Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health, CEO of UCLA Hospital System and associate vice chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences, is a nationally recognized academic health care leader. With more than 30 years of experience, she oversees all operations of UCLA’s hospitals and clinics and the health system’s regional outreach strategy.
Spisso led UCLA Health, and its nearly 35,000 employees, through the global pandemic. Her leadership in effectively managing in a crisis was on the national stage as UCLA Health was among the first in the country to develop its own COVID-19 test, administering it to nearly 150,000 people since March 2020. She oversees teams coordinating COVID-19 vaccination distribution, and she directed 250 clinics throughout Southern California to achieve more than a half-million telehealth visits. She excels in making strategic and timely operational decisions to meet the needs of patients and to ensure staff safety and well-being.
