Ellen M. Zane, MA

Biography

Ellen Zane is a nationally renowned health care leader who retired as President & Chief Executive Officer of Tufts Medical Center and Tufts Children’s Hospital (formerly Floating Hospital for Children) in late 2011. She was the first woman to run the hospital in its 226-year history. The hospital employs more 6,000 doctors, nurses, researchers, and other healthcare workers. Ellen holds two faculty appointments at Tufts University School of Medicine including: Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Care Research and Assistant Professor of Public Health & Community Medicine. Additionally, Ellen holds a faculty appointment as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Ellen is currently the Distinguished Global Leader in Residence at High Point University in North Carolina and for the period of 2011 to 2013, she was a Distinguished Guest Lecturer in Healthcare Administration at the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University. 

From 1994 to 2004, Ellen held the position of Network President for Mass General Brigham (formerly Partners HealthCare System, Inc) in Boston. In this capacity, she was responsible for the development of a provider network featuring the Harvard affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham & Women's Hospital. The network encompassed 5600 physicians and represented $800+ million of managed care revenue. Today, this entity represents one of the largest physician networks in America. Prior to that, Ellen was the Chief Executive Officer at Quincy Hospital in Quincy, Massachusetts. In this capacity, Ellen was an employee of HCA and then Quorum Health Resources. 

Ellen has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the George Washington University in Washington, DC (1973) and has a Master of Arts degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (1975). She holds the following honorary degrees: Doctorate of Humane Letters from University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth; Doctorate of Commercial Science from Bentley University, Doctorate of Business Administration from Stonehill College; and Doctorate of Humane Letters from Curry College.

Ellen is currently a Director of Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX), a Director of Haemonetics Corporation and Chair of the Board (NYSE: HAE) and a Director of Synchrony Financial (NYSE: SYF). She is a Director of AgNovos Healthcare, LLC in New York, NY, a Director of Savista (formerly nThrive) in Alpharetta, GA, the Lead Director of the Fiduciary Trust Company in Boston, a Director of the National Association of Corporate Directors New England Chapter and Chair of the Board of George Washington University-Medical Faculty Associates Board, Washington, DC. Ellen is also a Trustee of Hebrew Senior Life in Metro Boston. 

Ellen is a former Director of Azenta Life Sciences (NASDAQ: AZTA), a former Director of Parexel International (NASDAQ: PRXL); a former Director of Press Ganey (NYSE: PGND); a former Director of Lincare Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNCR); a former Director of Variagenics, Inc. (NASDAQ: VGNX), a Cambridge, Massachusetts biotech public company focused on pharmacogenomics; a former member of the Advisory Board for National Grid New England (NYSE: NGG), a former Senior Healthcare Advisor for Vestar Capital; and a former Chair of the Board of Minuteman Health (a health plan focused on individual and small group insurance in Massachusetts and New Hampshire). She was the founding Chair of the Board of Tufts Medicine (Parent Board of Tufts Medical Center as well a system of community hospitals and physician organizations); the former Vice Chair of the Board of Tufts Medical Center and Tufts Children’s Hospital; a former member of the Board of Overseers at the Tufts University School of Medicine; the former Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at George Washington University; a former member of the Board of Massachusetts Development Finance Agency; a former Chair of the Board of the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association; an Emeritus Trustee of Northeastern University; and also a former Director of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. From 1996 to 2001, Ellen was a member of the Board of Governors at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center (national hospital) at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC. 

Awards & Distinguished Honors: 

• November, 2023, Monumental Alumni Award, George Washington University; 

• May, 2022, President’s Medal, George Washington University;

 • September, 2021, NACD Directorship Top 100, National Association of Corporate Directors;

 • December, 2019, WomenInc. Magazine highlighted as a 2019 Most Influential Corporate Board Director; 

• April, 2015, Leadership in Corporate Governance Award, NACD, New England Chapter; 

• May, 2014, New England Women’s Leadership Award, Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester; 

• April, 2013, Charles E. Rogerson Award for Community Service, Rogerson Communities; 

• May, 2012, Leadership Award from WEST, Advancing Women in the Business of Science & Technology; • February, 2012, Lifetime Achievement Award from Tufts Medical Center & Floating Hospital for Children; 

• October, 2011, Heroes in Health Care Award from the Visiting Nurse Association of Boston & Affiliates; • August, 2011, Boston Business Journal Champions in Health Care Lifetime Achievement Award; 

• June, 2011, Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Healthcare Executives of Massachusetts; 

• November, 2010, Leading Women Awards from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts; 

• October, 2010, Distinguished Alumni Award from her alma mater, George Washington University;

 • November, 2008, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Humanitarian Award from the March of Dimes; 

• June, 2008, Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus’ Abigail Adams Award; 

• November, 2007, Arthritis Foundation – Dr. John I. Sandson Lifetime Achievement Award; 

• June, 2007, Boy Scouts of America’s T.L. Storer Memorial Award; 

• June, 2006, American Liver Foundation’s honoree of their Progress & Promise Award; 

• May, 2005, honored by the Brandeis University National Women’s Committee for her professional accomplishments in promoting excellence in healthcare; 

• May, 2003, Boston Magazine highlighted as one of Boston’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women; 

• May, 2003, inducted into Northeastern University’s College of Business Administration – Academy of Distinction for Achievement in Intrapreneurship; 

• February, 2000, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award for her achievements in management; 

• June, 1997, American College of Healthcare Executives Regional Healthcare Executive of the Year; 

• June, 1995, Distinguished Healthcare Executive Award from the Healthcare Management Association of Massachusetts.

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