For Immediate Release
CHICAGO, March 22, 2025—Michele K. Sutton, FACHE, president/CEO, North Oaks Health System, Hammond, La., has assumed the office of Chair of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Sutton was installed Saturday by ACHE’s Council of Regents and succeeds the outgoing Chair, William “Bill” P. Santulli, FACHE.
Board certified in healthcare management as an ACHE Fellow, Sutton served as an ACHE Governor from 2020 to 2023 and as an ACHE Regent for Louisiana from 2015 to 2018. She also has served on several ACHE committees, and she was president and vice president of ACHE—Southeast Louisiana Chapter, which later merged with another chapter to become the Louisiana Chapter of Healthcare Executives.
Sutton joined North Oaks Health System in 1988 as a community resources officer. Since then, she was promoted in 2006 to COO, and again in 2008 to executive vice president and COO. In 2012 she assumed the additional roles of administrator and CEO of North Oaks Medical Center, and in 2017 she was appointed president and CEO of the health system.
In addition to her service to ACHE, Sutton has been a member of the Louisiana Hospital Association since 1988. She is vice chair of its board of trustees and immediate past chair of its political action committee, HOSPPAC. She also is a member of the LHA Trust Funds board of directors and has participated on committees for the American Hospital Association and the Louisiana Department of Health. In addition, former Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed Sutton to serve on the Louisiana Emergency Response Network State Commission, representing hospital service districts, and Gov. Jeff Landry has reappointed her this year to continue her service.
Sutton is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations. She received the Distinguished Service Award in 2018 and 2022 through ACHE’s Recognition Program, the American Hospital Association Grassroots Champion Award in 2022 and the AHA PAC Most Valuable Player Award in 2019 and 2021. The Southeastern Louisiana University Alumni Association presented her with its Alumna of the Year Award in 2019, and Northshore Technical and Community College recognized her with the Chancellor’s Award for College Advancement in 2020 and the Distinguished Alumni Award 2023.
She has received several other accolades during her career, including the 2018 Legacy Award and the 1999 Outstanding Woman in Business Award from the Greater Hammond Chamber of Commerce. She also received the 2007 Golden Pelican Marketer of the Year Award from the Louisiana Hospital Association’s Public Relations and Marketing Constituency Group.
As Chair, Sutton begins the second part of a three-year term preceded by serving as Chair-Elect and followed by serving as Immediate Past Chair.
About the American College of Healthcare Executives
The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of more than 51,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. ACHE’s mission is to advance our members and healthcare management excellence. ACHE offers its prestigious FACHE® credential, signifying board certification in healthcare management. ACHE's established network of 76 chapters provides access to networking, education and career development at the local level. In addition, ACHE is known for its magazine, Healthcare Executive, and its career development and public policy programs. Through such efforts, ACHE works toward its vision of being the preeminent professional society for leaders dedicated to improving health. The Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives was established to further advance healthcare management excellence through education and research. The Foundation of ACHE is known for its educational programs—including the annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws more than 7,000 participants—and groundbreaking research. Its publishing division, ACHE Learn, is one of the largest publishers of books and journals on health services management, including textbooks for college and university courses.
Contact:
Randy Liss
Director of Communications
American College of Healthcare Executives
300 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 424-9417
rliss@ache.org