Jennifer Dedubellis, CEO of Hennepin Healthcare System, announced Wednesday that she would step down from her role in May.
The Hennepin Healthcare System operates HCMC in downtown Minneapolis and other clinics throughout the county.
“Every leader has a season,” Dedubellis said in a statement. “We are all destined for a particular purpose, and we pass the baton when we have time. That's the time.”
Healthcare System, the largest safety net hospital for the state's largest vulnerable population, praised Decubellis for leading it through the Covid-19 pandemic and civil unrest that rocked the twin cities after George Floyd's police were killed.
“We are grateful for Jennifer's leadership over the past five years,” Mohamed Omar, chairman of the Hennepin Healthcare Committee, said in a statement. “She has gone far more for the organization during the most challenging times of healthcare of the last century.”
The board announces its interim CEO on Thursday, opening a national search for a permanent successor.
Dedubellis took on the role of CEO in 2020 two weeks before Minnesota's first Covid-19 incident. Under her leadership, the healthcare system prioritized patient access to lifesaving care, promoted staff safety and ensured support from the National Guard. Dedubellis was also recognized as improved staff retention.
