About Us

The Secretan Faculty

Joseph Calvaruso Albuquerque, NM, United States

Joseph Calvaruso is a management consultant specializing in strategic, operational, and cultural transformation. Joe has nearly 30 years of health system leadership and consulting experience in creating organizations that operate effectively and inspire patients, physicians, employees, and other stakeholders. Joe is an expert in Higher Ground Leadership®, having taught more than 25 Higher Ground Leadership® Circles using the principles developed by Dr. Secretan.

Mr. Calvaruso most recently served as Performance Acceleration Officer at Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque, NM, where he led the process excellence cultural transformation resulting in improved clinical outcomes, patient safety, satisfaction, efficiency, and financial benefit. In that role, he also served as leader of the design of a $220+ million greenfield hospital campus that featured a separate Women's Hospital and incorporated several evidence-based and lean design concepts. At Presbyterian, Joe was also responsible for Information Services, Leadership Development/Learning Center, and Presbyterian's Baldrige effort that resulted in two national site visits.

Prior to joining Presbyterian, Joe spent over 20 years at Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, OH, where he served as CEO of the 3-hospital system for 8 years. Before being named CEO, Joe held positions of SVP Corporate Development, founder and President of the employed medical group, and President of the health plan. As CEO, Mr. Calvaruso was acknowledged for bringing Lean Six Sigma into health care which realized a $70M financial benefit over a 5 year period, and for creating an inspirational culture that cut employee turnover in half, doubled employee satisfaction to the 84th percentile nationally, and was recognized as one of ten International Spirit at Work Award winners in the world in 2005.

Before being recruited by Mount Carmel, Joe spent four years serving a variety of health care clients as a consultant for Peat Marwick in St. Louis, MO.

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