Cone Health Names Dr Paul Krakovitz as New Chief Executive Officer

Cone Health selected Dr Paul Krakovitz as its next chief executive officer on December 23, 2025, the health system announced. Dr Paul Krakovitz will join Cone Health on March 16, 2026, succeeding the current interim leadership and beginning a planned executive transition intended to provide continuity for patients, employees, and community partners.

Dr Paul Krakovitz is an ear nose and throat surgeon by training and holds a medical degree from Indiana University. He brings more than two decades of executive leadership experience to Cone Health, including senior roles at Intermountain Health. That combination of clinical training and system level executive work framed the board's decision to select him to lead the Greensboro headquartered health system through its next chapter.

Interim chief executive Bernie Sherry will continue in the interim role until Dr Krakovitz assumes the position in March. The board described the appointment as part of the system's executive transition planning that balances continuity with new leadership. The multi month handover is intended to allow time for internal briefings, operational reviews, and meetings with clinical and administrative leaders across the system.

For Guilford County residents the change in leadership is primarily a matter of institutional stability. Cone Health's leadership sets priorities that shape patient access workforce morale and the delivery of clinical services. A CEO with extensive experience in health system operations could influence investments in care coordination quality improvement and community health initiatives, but concrete local changes will depend on the priorities the new executive outlines after joining the system.

The appointment formalizes a timetable for transition and gives staff and community stakeholders a clear date for when new leadership will take hold. Local officials and health care partners will be watching the onboarding phase through March 16, 2026 to assess any new strategic direction and to ensure that the system continues to meet the needs of patients across Guilford County. The board and interim leadership will oversee the transition as Dr Krakovitz prepares to assume responsibility for the system.