Keslie Blackwell joins 2023 ‘Women Hospital and Healthcare CFOs to Know’
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Becker’s Hospital Review has named Keslie Blackwell to its annual list of Women Hospital and Healthcare CFOs to Know.
Ms. Blackwell is the chief financial officer for Tenet Health’s Arizona Group, which includes the Abrazo Health hospitals in Phoenix and Carondelet Health Network hospitals in southern Arizona, according to a press release.
Ms. Blackwell oversees $1.6 billion in annual finances and serves as a key member of the Arizona Group Executive Leadership Team and hospital management teams. She also has hospital-specific CFO accountability for Abrazo Central Campus in Phoenix.
“Keslie was promoted to Arizona Group CFO in 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic and deftly managed the unprecedented and unexpected challenges of supporting the hospitals’ ability to meet community needs and provide high quality care,” said Tenet Arizona Group CEO Brian Elisco, in a prepared statement.
“At age 32 she is one of, if not the, youngest CFO in the Tenet Health enterprise, which includes 61 acute care facilities across the U.S.”
Becker’s Hospital Review points out CFOs featured on this list ensure organizations not only survive but thrive. Along with expertise in healthcare finance, these leaders bring their diverse experiences as women to their roles.
“It is an honor to be included among these accomplished leaders from healthcare organizations across the U.S. This recognition reflects the teamwork of everyone at Abrazo Health and Carondelet Health Network who contribute to the success of our hospitals and provide compassionate care for our patients,” Ms. Blackwell said.
Keslie Blackwell joins 2023 ‘Women Hospital and Healthcare CFOs to Know’
Ms. Blackwell is responsible for oversight of the financial integrity of the Abrazo and Carondelet hospitals including strategic financial planning, annual operating budgets and capital deployment.
“Keslie’s leadership helped meet the hospitals’ needs for staffing, supplies and ongoing capital investments to address extraordinary needs during the pandemic,” Mr. Elisco said. “Her performance under fire was amazing and she did a great job of staying connected with leadership in each of the hospitals to support and ensure critical needs were being met.”
Abrazo Health includes five acute care hospitals, two micro-hospitals and two freestanding ERs in the greater Phoenix area, and Carondelet Health Network includes three acute care hospitals, a micro-hospital and freestanding ER serving Tucson and Nogales.
“Keslie is a driven, strong leader who is intuitive in her approach to decision making. She has the ability to analyze and understand complicated information from many sources, then create actionable plans to drive effective operational decisions that always put the patient first,” Mr. Elisco said.
Becker’s Hospital Review noted that the number of women holding CFO positions at Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies has nearly doubled over the past decade, according to the Crist Kolder Volatility Report, which examines C-Suite executives in a portfolio of America’s leading companies.
