Johnese Spisso, MPA
President, UCLA Health
CEO, UCLA Health System
Associate Vice Chancellor, UCLA Health Sciences
Johnese Spisso is a nationally recognized academic health care leader serving as the President of UCLA Health, CEO of UCLA Hospital System, and Associate Vice Chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences. She is responsible for all aspects of the health system and the regional outreach strategy in the local, state, national and international programs.
UCLA’s health system is among the most comprehensive and advanced health care systems in the world. Since her recruitment in 2016, President Spisso has expanded UCLA Health’s reach significantly to total nearly 300 clinics across Southern California and the Central Coast while simultaneously advancing strategic acquisitions and partnerships, including the addition of UCLA Health's fifth hospital, UCLA West Valley Medical Center.
Under Spisso’s leadership, UCLA Health has extended care directly to vulnerable populations, including addressing the social drivers of health through partnerships with community organizations, government agencies and other healthcare providers. One example of this ongoing commitment is the major expansion of mental health services through the new UCLA Lynda and Stewart Resnick Neuropsychiatric Campus. This significant development represents a $650M investment by UCLA Health to expand access to one of the most vulnerable and underserved populations in Los Angeles.
President Spisso’s collective four decades of experience and time on the front lines of care has informed her belief that what patients remember most are the acts of kindness and compassion they receive. This ethos is central to her ongoing mission to advance patient-centered care that prioritizes values, needs and preferences.
Her career began as a critical-care nurse in the medical, surgical and transplant intensive care unit at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian. She then joined UC Davis Medical Center where she directed the critical care, trauma and burn center, emergency services and the Life Flight Air-Medical Program.
After her move to UW Medicine, she took on progressive leadership roles including chief nursing officer, chief operating officer, chief health system officer and vice president of medical affairs for the University of Washington. As vice president, she played major roles in expanding collaborations with regional hospitals, the operational integration of two community hospitals, and leading the development of a statewide trauma system.
President Spisso has served as the Los Angeles Community Chair for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk and the Los Angeles Community Chair for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Luncheon. As a thought leader, she has published numerous articles and book chapters on healthcare leadership and currently serves on the boards of Vizient and The Music Center of Los Angeles County. She also acts as a Hospital Association of Southern California area representative for Los Angeles County Coastal Harbor and previously served as chair of the HASC Board of Directors.
Throughout her career, President Spisso has received several notable awards and leadership recognitions, including the Los Angeles Business Journal’s LA500 list, a grouping of the most influential leaders in health care, which she has earned seven times. She has also been named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2026 “Women of Influence: Health Care” from 2022 through 2026, and the journal selected her as their 2024 “CEO of the Year.” Becker’s Hospital Review recognized President Spisso as one of the “Great Leaders in Health Care” in 2026 and 2025 and through Modern Healthcare, President Spisso has been named one of the “50 Most Influential Clinical Executives” and the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.” In 2023, President Spisso was awarded the “Vision & Excellence in Healthcare Leadership Award” by Partners in Care Foundation.
President Spisso holds a master’s degree in health care administration and public administration from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Chapman College. She earned her RN at the St. Francis School of Nursing.