Dr. James Kravec, chief clinical officer for Mercy Health - Lorain and Youngstown, has been named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s annual list of Hospital and Health System CMO’s to Know for 2026. This achievement highlights his commitment to strengthening the ministry’s quality and safety outcomes and reflects his broader efforts to enhance clinical performance.
The 2026 “Hospital and Health System Chief Medical Officers to Know” list recognizes the influential role that chief medical officers play in shaping today’s healthcare landscape. These physician executives drive meaningful changes by championing patient safety, improving clinical quality, fostering collaboration between medical staff and executive teams, and guiding organizational risk-management efforts.
“Dr. Kravec’s unwavering commitment to advancing the high-quality, compassionate care that we deliver across the region continues to strengthen the Mahoning Valley,” said John Luellen, MD, state president, Ohio. “His drive to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities is evident in the meaningful work that he does every day. Beyond his clinical leadership, his dedication to cultivating future physicians ensures that our patients will continue to receive exceptional care for years to come.”
Honorees are acknowledged for elevating the clinical health of their hospitals and health systems. They oversee complex clinical operations, lead high-stakes quality and safety initiatives and develop the clinical strategies that help their organizations deliver exceptional care.
A native of Youngstown, OH, Dr. Kravec is committed to improving health care access within the Mahoning Valley. In his role as chief clinical officer, Dr. Kravec oversees the clinical operations of five hospitals and two medical groups in Northeast Ohio. He leads a medical staff with more than 1,500 physicians and two medical groups that see roughly 4,000 patients a day in the outpatient setting. Dr. Kravec’s leadership has strengthened care delivery across the region to ensure that patients have access to comprehensive and specialized medical services close to home. He has also championed the growth of graduate medical education programs, helping to further bolster the local health care workforce.
The Becker's Hospital Review editorial team accepted nominations for this list. The full list features individual profiles of all leaders.