University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics names new chief executive officer

Michael Zenn, chief financial officer of the University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics, will become its new chief executive officer effective February 1, pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

Zenn has served in various positions in hospital operational and financial management for more than 30 years. He has been chief financial officer of UI Hospital and Clinics since 2015.

Mike Zenn

“The University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics is a $1 billion enterprise,” said Dr. Robert Barish, vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “It is crucial that we hire a leader who understands our diverse missions and is committed to the hospital’s continued financial success.”

“I am confident in Mr. Zenn’s ability to lead the Hospital and Clinics with his proven skills as our chief financial officer in directing the hospital’s financial performance,” said Barish. “He has led efforts to significantly improve our revenue cycle, restructure our capital planning process, develop our five-year capital plan, and has sponsored our very critical Integrated Information Infrastructure project to select and implement a new information technology platform.”

“In my role as chief financial officer, I have been able to develop a unique perspective into the needs of the hospital,” said Zenn. “I have also watched our former chief executive officer, Avijit Ghosh, work to instill an atmosphere of collaboration between the hospital and the other UIC health sciences colleges, which I intend to continue to nourish.”

“There are several very exciting projects underway at UI Hospital, including the implementation of a new electronic medical records and IT platform that will enable us to not only improve the way we deliver care, but change the way we handle and use information, achieve better outcomes for our patients, and hone our ability to identify new opportunities for engaging with the community to meet their unique health care needs. I’m very much looking forward to this next chapter at the hospital in my new role as chief executive officer.”

Prior to joining the University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics, Zenn served as an engagement partner at Tatum, LLC in Chicago – a national professional services firm in the healthcare industry. Zenn has additionally served in various roles in the executive administration teams of Northwest Community Healthcare and Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill., and of Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, Michigan.

Zenn earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan.