Warner Thomas was named president and CEO of Ochsner Health in 2012 after previously serving as president and chief operating officer from 1998-2012. He is the CEO of Louisiana’s largest nonprofit academic health system and its largest private employer.

Under Thomas’s leadership, Ochsner has expanded across Louisiana and the Gulf South to become a national and global destination for healthcare. The system’s strategy revolves around supporting the growing needs of the patient population and providing specialty services where and when patients need it. Some of this is accomplished in partnership with other strong healthcare organizations across the Gulf South, and provides the opportunity for Ochsner to scale patient-centered technology and other solutions to bring advanced care closer to home.

Thomas has been instrumental in developing a population health focus at Ochsner, delivering programs and resources that empower patients to effectively manage chronic conditions while also maintaining focus on preventive measures, screenings and education to help people stay well and avoid preventable disease. He also worked to launch innovationOchsner in 2015, an Ochsner lab designed to create health advancements to address national issues including chronic disease management, as well as to support and partner with companies working to revolutionize patient-centered care. Internally, Thomas spearheaded the creation of the Ochsner Learning Institute which provides free professional education for all Ochsner leaders to better prepare them to confront challenges, seek opportunity and ignite enthusiasm around best practices in healthcare.