The former CEO and executive chairman of Tenet Healthcare, Ron Rittenmeyer, has died. He was 75.
The news comes just a few weeks after Rittenmeyer resigned his role as executive chairman and a member of the board of directors, which he continued serving after he resigned as CEO in August 2021. His resignation from the board and as chairman was due to personal health reasons, according to an October filing.
J. Robert Kinney was appointed by the board as chairman of Tenet Healthcare, effective Oct. 1. Upon Rittenmeyer’s resignation as CEO last year, Saum Sutaria, MD, president and COO, was named as CEO, effective Sept. 1, 2021. Rittenmeyer served as CEO for nearly four years.
Rittenmeyer was also the retired chairman, president and CEO of Electronic Data Systems (EDS), according to his obituary. Prior to EDS, he served as managing director of The Cypress Group and also served as chairman and CEO of Millennium Health, leading the company’s emergence from Chapter 11. He was also the former chairman, president and CEO of Expert Global Solutions, as well as chairman, president and CEO of Safety Kleen; chairman, CEO and president of RailTex; president and COO of Ryder TRS; president and COO of Merisel; and COO of Burlington Northern Railroad. He also spent 20 years at PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay Division in numerous leadership roles.
“He had a passion for developing leaders. His philosophy was to be a great listener and provide direct feedback, giving rise to CEOs and COOs across various industries. He believed that ‘leadership is something that takes the average person and makes them do something that’s exceptional,’” his obituary reads.
Dallas-based Tenet is the largest ambulatory platform in the United States, operating or having ownership in more than 465 ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals. The company also operates 61 acute care and specialty hospitals, roughly 110 other outpatient facilities, a network of leading employed physicians and a global business center in Manila, Philippines. The company reported net operating revenue of $771 million during the second quarter of 2022.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."