Trustee
CEO of Center for Health Education and Access, Former President and CEO of Advocate / Aurora Health Care
Dr. Nick Turkal was President and Chief Executive Officer of Aurora Health Care, a not-for-profit health care system based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As CEO, Dr. Turkal was responsible for overall strategy and direction for one of Wisconsin’s leading integrated health systems and its largest private employer, with more than 31,000 employees and over 5 billion dollars in annual revenues. He led efforts to successfully merge Aurora with Advocate Health Care, creating Advocate Aurora Health, the 9th largest healthcare system in the country. He served as CEO of the merged system until 2019.
Dr. Turkal graduated from Creighton University School of Medicine, followed by a residency in Family Medicine. He began his career as a family physician in a rural / underserved community in Illinois. He then entered the academic arena at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, where he served as a Clinician Educator, Residency Director, Department Chair, and Associate Dean for the Milwaukee Campus. He was jointly employed by University of Wisconsin Medical School and Aurora Health Care as Associate Dean / VP of Academic Affairs prior to serving as CMO. From 2000 to 2005, Dr. Turkal served as Aurora’s SVP and Chief Medical Officer, focusing on care management, quality, patient safety, academics, risk management, and research. Immediately prior to his role as CEO, Dr. Turkal served as Aurora’s Metro Region President.
In addition to his current roles as an Adjunct Clinical Professor at the University of Wisconsin and a Practicing Palliative Care Physician, Dr. Turkal currently serves on the Board of Creighton University and Board of the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). He continues to be Board Certified in Family Practice and holds memberships in a number of professional organizations, including ACPE, AMA, ACHE and AAFP.
