Jennifer Drago Named Chief Strategy Officer in Expanded Role at Sun Health
July 16, 2019
SURPRISE, AZ–Jennifer Drago, formerly executive vice president of Population Health for Sun Health, has been named chief strategy officer for the organization.
In Drago’s expanded role, she is responsible for Sun Health’s strategic and annual planning processes and identifying and researching new business opportunities and programs. Drago will continue to lead her current team, which includes Sun Health at Home and Sun Health Wellness, comprised of the Sun Health Center for Health & Wellbeing, Community Education as well as the Care Transitions and Memory Care Navigator programs.
“Jennifer is uniquely qualified for this role with an extensive background in health care planning and development that began at Sun Health in the 1990s, along with her more recent role developing our comprehensive and award-winning Sun Health Wellness division and our Sun Health at Home program, which is the state’s first continuing care at home program,” said Joe La Rue, chief executive officer of Sun Health.
Over the last year, Drago has led the development of Sun Health’s 2030 vision and strategic framework, as directed by the Sun Health Services Board of Directors and the Sun Health Foundation Board of Trustees. As Sun Health begins its fiscal year 2020, Drago will focus on directing the organization’s strategic growth while helping to increase the depth and diversity of programs and services.
“I look forward to working on these strategic initiatives across the organization,” Drago said. “This important and exciting work over the next three to five years will set the foundation for achieving the goals set out for the year 2030.”
Drago has worked in health care for more than 25 years, starting as vice president of planning services for the former Sun Health hospital system. She also served as an associate administrator for Boswell Memorial and Del E. Webb Memorial hospitals. She has been with Sun Health in progressive leadership roles since 1996. Drago is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Nonprofit Sun Health boasts more than 50 years of meeting the health care needs of the community, first as a hospital-based system and now as an organization offering philanthropic support, three Life Plan Communities, a Continuing Care at Home program and a full slate of health and wellness programs. In partnership with Banner Health, Sun Health Foundation serves as the philanthropic link between the community and Banner Boswell and Banner Del E. Webb medical centers as well as the Banner Sun Health Research Institute. Sun Health champions superior health and wellbeing through philanthropy, inspired living and wellness programs.