As president and CEO, John Fernandez leads Lifespan, a not-for-profit comprehensive, integrated, academic health system that cares for more than 550,000 people each year. Lifespan is affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and includes Rhode Island Hospital and its pediatric division, Hasbro Children's Hospital; The Miriam Hospital; Bradley Hospital; Newport Hospital; Gateway Healthcare; Lifespan Physician Group, the largest multi-specialty practice in Rhode Island; and Coastal Medical, a primary care driven medical practice.
Prior to joining Lifespan, Fernandez served as president of two organizations that are part of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. From 2007 to 2022, Fernandez was president of Mass Eye and Ear, one of the nation’s largest specialty hospitals exclusively dedicated to academic research, training and treatment for conditions that impair vision, hearing and other disorders of the eyes, ears, nose, throat, head and neck. Fernandez also served as President of Mass General Brigham Integrated Care, a Mass General Brigham entity formed in 2019 with a mission to bring lower cost health care closer to where patients live.
Throughout his career, Fernandez has a demonstrated track record of increasing and improving healthcare services, investing in research and innovation, and training the next generation of health professionals. Recently, he led key strategic initiatives for Mass General Brigham to provide greater access to ambulatory services in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and other states, including the design, planning, and opening of a multi-specialty ambulatory care and surgical center in Salem, NH.
Prior to his Mass Eye and Ear appointment, Fernandez served as vice president at Brigham and Women's Hospital for several areas including surgical services, imaging, cancer, pathology, laboratory and network development.
Fernandez received a bachelor’s degree in political science from The College of Wooster in Ohio and a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania.