Allina Health President and CEO Dr. Penny Wheeler

Leadership: What’s Love Got to Do With It

Dr. Penny Wheeler is president and chief clinical officer (CCO) of Allina Health, one of the nation’s leading health systems, made up of 12 hospitals, 90 clinics, more than 24,000 employees, and several related health care service companies including home health, hospice, transportation, medical equipment, and retail pharmacy.

She leads the organization's quality and value agenda through alignment of clinical and operational leadership to optimally benefit those served by Allina Health. A board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist, Dr. Wheeler has treated patients at Women's Health Consultants in Minneapolis. Previously, she was president of Abbott Northwestern Hospital's medical staff, chair of the Allina Quality Committee, and served on the Allina Board of Directors before assuming her role as chief clinical officer in 2007.

Dr. Wheeler holds a BA and an MD from the University of Minnesota. She serves on the board of Minnesota Community Measurement, a regional health quality collaborative, and on the national board of VHA, an organization dedicated to providing expert support to not-for-profit health care organizations. She was also named the Minnesota Health Care Executive of the year in 2012.