D. Scott Nordlund stands as a prominent figure in the healthcare industry, currently serving as the Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at Banner Health, a $13 billion organization spanning six states. His extensive leadership portfolio includes a significant connection to Atlas Healthcare Partners, where he holds a board member position, further underscoring his influence in shaping the healthcare landscape. In his role at Banner Health, Nordlund is instrumental in defining the strategic direction of the entire system. This encompasses system-wide strategic planning, growth initiatives, mergers, acquisitions, partnership development, digital business strategy, innovation, joint ventures, marketing, external communications, and consumer engagement. His direct oversight also extends to system-wide service line growth activities for key medical areas including orthopedics, neurosciences, oncology, women’s health, infant and pediatric care, cardiovascular services, and general surgery.
Nordlund’s innovative approach and strategic vision have garnered industry recognition, earning him a place among Modern Healthcare’s top 25 Innovators in both 2020 and 2021. Becker’s Hospital Review further acknowledged his impact by naming him one of the “Top 50 Great Health System Chief Strategy Officers in 2022”. Beyond his role with Atlas Healthcare Partners and Banner Health’s executive team, Nordlund contributes his expertise to several boards, including the Banner – University of Arizona Academic Medical Council board, the Banner/Aetna JV board, and the Banner MA board, and the Banner/Select system joint venture board. These affiliations highlight his commitment to collaborative growth and strategic partnerships within the healthcare sector.
Before his tenure at Banner Health and his involvement with Atlas Healthcare Partners, Nordlund held the position of EVP Partnership Growth and Innovation at Select Medical (NYSE: SEM). In this capacity, he spearheaded strategic growth initiatives across Select Medical’s extensive national network, encompassing specialty hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and occupational health centers. A key achievement during his time at Select Medical was his pivotal role in the acquisition of US Healthworks (now integrated under the Select Concentra division), a move that solidified the company’s position as the largest occupational health provider in the United States.
Nordlund’s career trajectory also includes his leadership at Trinity Health, where he served as Chief Growth, Strategy and Innovation Officer. His responsibilities spanned system-wide growth, strategy, innovation, marketing, communications, and consumer engagement across Trinity Health’s 20-state national market. Notably, he was responsible for building and leading Trinity’s merger and acquisition function, significantly expanding the organization from an $8 billion to an $18 billion entity, contributing to its rise as one of the nation’s largest healthcare systems. During his time at Trinity Health, Nordlund also served on the investment committee for the Heritage Fund and Abundant Health Ventures, and held board positions at St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, St. Francis Health System in Delaware, and St. Mary’s Health System in Langhorne.
Earlier in his career, Nordlund spent 11 years at Dignity Health, taking on various executive roles, including Senior Vice President for Strategic Growth, Network and New Venture development. Here, he directed merger and acquisition activities and spearheaded joint venture development, building and managing the organization’s partnership-based ambulatory service portfolio. His board service at Dignity Health included Mercy Care, a major Medicaid plan with over 400,000 members and $3 billion in revenue. He also chaired the Dignity/USPI and Dignity/SimonMed system ventures, demonstrating his ability to lead and manage complex partnerships. His foundational experience also includes senior leadership positions at BJC Health System in corporate strategic planning and at Baxter Healthcare (NYSE: BAX), where he managed engagements across the Western United States for Baxter Corporate Consulting.
D. Scott Nordlund’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Illinois, and two master’s degrees – an MBA and an MHSA – from the University of Michigan. His extensive experience, strategic acumen, and board involvement with organizations like Atlas Healthcare Partners solidify his position as a driving force in healthcare strategy, growth, and innovation.
