Former Adventist HealthCare executive joins MultiCare for new VP, CFO role in Tacoma

MultiCare this week announced a new addition to the Tacoma-based health system’s executive team.

James Lee, formerly of Adventist HealthCare, has joined MultiCare Health System as executive vice president of population-based care and chief financial officer.

Lee will lead the health system’s population-based care strategy and oversee financial performance.

Lee served 17 years as executive vice president and CFO for Adventist HealthCare in Gaithersburg, Maryland, before becoming chief strategy and growth officer.

According to MultiCare’s announcement, Lee introduced employee wellness programs at Adventist “that aimed to identify health issues early and facilitate timely care.”

“I had the privilege of working with James at Adventist HealthCare for 11 years before I came to MultiCare,” said Bill Robertson, MultiCare CEO. “He is a positive, thoughtful leader who has broad experience in population-based care, capitated revenue models, finance and operations. I am thrilled to have him on board.”

Lee has a bachelor’s degree from the Sao Paulo School of Business Administration in Brazil and master’s degrees in public health and health administration from Loma Linda University in California. He and his wife, Margaret, have two children.

According to the health system, “Lee will support work to expand access to care and services and drive the organization’s ongoing transition away from episodic, fee-for-service care models toward a more value-driven approach focused on keeping people healthy and effectively managing cost of care.”

“I’m energized to start this new chapter in my career,” Lee said. “My position at MultiCare combines the challenge of improving the health of a population with providing care in a financially feasible way, and I’m excited for this opportunity.”

Lee is the latest executive announcement from the health system. In April, MultiCare announced restructuring of its top position. That move promoted Florence Chang, formerly the system’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, to serve as its new president, separating that job from the CEO position, where Robertson remains.

MultiCare’s previous CFO, James McManus, previously served from 2019 to November 2021 when he left the organization, according to the health system.

The health system is in expansion mode, with Yakima Valley Memorial signing a letter of intent in May to explore joining MultiCare, and Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup planning to submit a Certificate of Need application with the state Department of Health to add 160 beds.