Physician William W. LeCates has been appointed Mohawk Valley Health System’s new president and CEO effective Oct. 20. He succeeds Darlene Stromstad, who is retiring after nearly seven years of dedicated service to MVHS.
Following Stromstad’s announced retirement, the board of directors engaged in a national search for a president and CEO and, after extensive interviews with other highly qualified candidates, selected LeCates as Stromstad’s successor.
For the past 14 months, LeCates has served as the MVHS chief operating officer. As COO, he has been responsible for clinical support services, operational support services, supervising MVHS product lines and working closely with quality and medical education. LeCates has also maintained a limited clinical practice in internal medicine and nephrology.
“Dr. LeCates is a proven leader with a deep understanding of healthcare systems and an unwavering commitment to patient care,” said Richard Zweifel, chairman of the MVHS board of directors. “His clinical expertise, operational experience and knowledge of the region make him uniquely suited to lead MVHS into its next chapter.”
LeCates began his career in healthcare more than 25 years ago and has brought extensive expertise and experience to MVHS from a wide range of organizations and positions. Prior to joining MVHS, he served as an executive director for JPMorgan Chase where he provided clinical oversight of the healthcare operations of 22 US health centers serving more than 150,000 employees.
As a physician and healthcare leader, the majority of LeCates’ career has been spent in various roles with Bassett Healthcare Network and its affiliates, with his last position being president and chief operating officer for Bassett Medical Center.
Dr. LeCates received his undergraduate degree from Amherst College and earned his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency and nephrology fellowship training at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. LeCates is board-certified in internal medicine and nephrology.
He also brings many years of military leadership experience. He currently serves as a colonel in the New York Army National Guard, with previous overseas tours in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Liberia. LeCates is a graduate of the United States Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.