MultiCare’s board has signed off on a leadership shakeup that keeps things firmly in the family. On Thursday, directors approved a succession plan that names Florence Chang to take over from Bill Robertson as chief executive of the Tacoma-based nonprofit health system. Chang, currently MultiCare’s president and longtime leader of its operations and technology programs, will step up to oversee hospitals and clinics across the region as the organization continues to chase new partnerships and projects around the Pacific Northwest.
According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the board said the move "positions a veteran healthcare technology and operations leader" to steer the nonprofit’s ongoing expansion. The outlet described the decision as a board-approved succession designed to keep the system’s operations steady while its footprint grows.
Who Is Florence Chang?
Chang is no newcomer to MultiCare’s inner circle. She was elevated to president in April 2022 after serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer, The News Tribune reported. Her background includes senior posts in information technology and systemwide operations, and she has been highlighted for leading electronic health record and data efforts that helped modernize MultiCare’s clinical systems, according to HCI Innovation Group.
What This Means For The Region
Chang’s promotion lands as MultiCare pushes beyond Pierce County, with projects and partnerships that stretch across the Northwest. Those include the Prairie Medical Campus collaboration in Idaho and a planned affiliation with Oregon-based Samaritan Health Services, both aimed at widening the system’s regional reach. The Coeur d'Alene Press covered the groundbreaking for the Prairie Medical Campus, and Samaritan’s website details the formal affiliation and expected investments in facilities and technology across Oregon.
Board members say putting Chang in the top job is meant to keep operations on a steady track while MultiCare navigates its growth plans and cross-state partnerships. The next big things to watch will be the formal transition timeline and whether any strategic pivots follow once Chang officially steps into Robertson’s role.
