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Healthcare Executive | Hospital Operations & Strategy | Fort Gratiot, MI
Eric Cecava is a healthcare executive with a background in hospital operations, physician relations, and health system leadership in Michigan and Ohio. He served as President and CEO of McLaren Port Huron from 2020 to 2026, following two years as Chief Operating Officer at the same organization.
Leading Multi-Site Health System Operations
Eric Cecava has spent his career managing complex, multi-site health systems rather than single facilities. At McLaren Port Huron, that meant overseeing a hospital, a skilled nursing facility, and an integrated medical group as one coordinated system serving 235,000 patients across three counties in Michigan's Thumb region. Earlier, at Adena Health System in Ohio, he held operational responsibility across three hospitals and an integrated medical group serving 400,000 patients across 12 counties. Running several distinct facility types under one strategy, rather than treating each as a standalone operation, has been the throughline of his work.
From Manufacturing to Health System Leadership
Before moving into healthcare, Eric Cecava spent his early career in manufacturing and supply chain operations. He worked as a lean implementation specialist at Delphi Automotive, then managed plant operations and supply chain functions for consumer products facilities across the Midwest at Honeywell International. That background in process discipline carried directly into his healthcare work. In 2010, he moved into hospital administration, joining Adena Health System in South Central Ohio.
Building Regional Reach at Adena Health System
Over eight years at Adena Health System, Eric Cecava progressed from System Director of Business Intelligence and Process Excellence, where he led Lean Six Sigma deployment across the organization, to VP of Regional Operations and System Quality, and eventually to Chief Operating Officer. In that role, he was responsible for three hospitals and an integrated medical group serving 400,000 patients across 12 counties in South Central Ohio. The experience gave him a systems-level view of what it takes to run a regional health network rather than a single hospital.
President and CEO of McLaren Port Huron
Eric Cecava joined McLaren Port Huron in Michigan in 2018 as Chief Operating Officer and was named President and CEO in 2020, a position he held through 2026. He oversaw McLaren Port Huron Hospital, a skilled nursing facility, and an integrated medical group serving 235,000 patients across three counties in Michigan's Thumb region. His responsibilities spanned capital planning, physician recruitment, regulatory compliance, labor relations, and the operational integration of all three entities.
Physician Recruitment and Clinical Program Development
Physician recruitment and retention carry different challenges in a non-urban, three-county service area than they do in a major metro market. At McLaren Port Huron, Eric Cecava managed physician recruitment and contracting alongside clinical program development aligned to community need. He also led facilities expansion and EHR implementation as part of the same integrated strategy. Serving as the primary healthcare option for a regional market shaped how he approached each of these priorities.
Process Discipline and Quality in Healthcare
Eric Cecava applies the same process discipline to healthcare operations that he learned in manufacturing. He led Lean Six Sigma deployment at Adena Health System and applied the same principles, constraint identification, waste elimination, and standard work, throughout his time at McLaren Port Huron. His approach treats quality as an operating system rather than a separate initiative layered on top of clinical work. Business intelligence and performance measurement have been consistent tools in that approach across both organizations.
Education and Professional Credentials
Eric Cecava studied industrial engineering at Purdue University before earning a Master of Business Administration from The Ohio State University. He also holds a Certified Project Manager credential from Xavier University. His combination of engineering, business, and project management training underlies the operational approach he has applied across manufacturing and healthcare alike.
Family, Community, and Life Outside Work
Eric Cecava grew up in North Platte and Ogallala, Nebraska, raised by his parents Rich and Kris Cecava alongside his brother Ted. He is a proud father to his son Mason. He has lived in Saginaw and Fort Gratiot, Michigan, and in Troy and Grove City, Ohio. Outside of work, he enjoys boating, golf, travel, reading, hiking, and volunteering, and he is active in community service in St. Clair County through the YMCA, youth sports, and local economic development organizations.
Connect With Eric Cecava
Read more about Eric Cecava's background and current work at ericcecava.com.
Copyright 2026 Eric Cecava. All Rights Reserved.
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