About Us: Leadership

Since joining Stanford Health Care in 2016, David Entwistle has led the health system through a period of significant transformation and growth, advancing its standing as a national leader in patient care, digital health and AI innovation, and community health.

He played a key role in uniting Stanford Health Care, the Stanford School of Medicine, and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health under an integrated strategic plan, with a shared vision to lead the biomedical revolution in precision health. Through that vision, he established Catalyst, Stanford Medicine’s flagship innovation accelerator, and oversaw the completion of the new Stanford Hospital, which opened in 2019 and was a cornerstone of Stanford Medicine’s COVID-19 response.

Throughout the pandemic and in subsequent years, Stanford Health Care has served as a critical resource for its surrounding communities, providing key support for residents’ health and well-being through investments and collaborations with local organizations. Under Entwistle’s leadership, Stanford Health Care has earned recognition for quality, safety, and clinical excellence from Vizient, U.S. News & World Report, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Leapfrog Group.

Stanford Health Care has also achieved the highest honor for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet program and has been recognized for digital innovation through the Davies Award of Excellence from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Additionally, Stanford Health Care was among the first U.S. health systems to receive the Joint Commission’s Sustainable Healthcare Certification and was named one of the nation’s top 25 hospitals for all-around sustainability performance by Practice Greenhealth in both 2025 and 2026.

A recognized voice in health care innovation, Entwistle is a national thought leader on artificial intelligence and digital health innovation, hospital quality improvement, and sustainability in health care. He serves on the boards of Vizient and the California Hospital Association and is a past board member of the American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges Council of Teaching Hospitals, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Before Stanford Health Care, Entwistle’s senior leadership roles included serving as CEO of the University of Utah Hospital & Clinics and as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics.

He is an avid runner and cyclist, who enjoys endurance sports and has completed numerous marathons and IRONMAN Triathlons.