MedStar Health President and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth A. Samet is responsible for a
$5 billion not-for-profit, healthcare delivery system. With more than 30 years of experience in healthcare administration, Samet provides strategic oversight and management for MedStar Health—the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, comprised of 10 hospitals, a comprehensive network of health-related businesses that include research, ambulatory, home health, and a large multispecialty physician network, and several insurance products with more than 170,000 members. In addition, MedStar Health is one of the region’s largest employers with more than 31,000 associates and 4,700 affiliated physicians, serving more than half-a-million patients and their families each year. Additionally, MedStar has a longstanding partnership with Georgetown University, serving as their Medical Education and Clinical Partner.
From 2003 to 2008, Samet served as president and chief operating officer of MedStar Health, and prior to that, served as the system’s first chief operating officer since MedStar’s inception in 1998.
Samet has dedicated his career to health care. He received his master’s degree in health services administration from the University of Michigan in 1982. Samet served as president of MedStar Washington Hospital Center, one of the nation’s largest tertiary care hospitals, in the District of Columbia from 1990 to 2000. From the mid-1980s to 1990, Samet held a variety of leadership positions with the Medlantic Healthcare Group, which merged with Helix Health in 1998 to create MedStar Health.
Samet is presently a member of the board of directors at Georgetown University, the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Economic Club of Washington, United Way of the National Capital Area, and Goodwill of Greater Washington; and serves on the Executive Committee of the board of the Greater Washington Board of Trade. He has held leadership positions on the boards of the American Hospital Association (AHA), District of Columbia Hospital Association (DCHA) and Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) and served on the board of visitors for the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Samet is also a past board member and chair of the Academic Affairs Committee of the Old Dominion University Board of Visitors, where he received his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1980 and an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2012 following his commencement address to the school’s graduating class. In 1996, the American College of Healthcare Executives named Samet the national Young Healthcare Administrator of the Year. Most recently, Samet was honored with the Anti-Defamation League 2015 Achievement Award, which recognizes leaders who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to justice, pluralism and understanding.