Meet GBMC’s Next President and CEO: Dr. Paari Gopalakrishnan

In his more than 20 years in medicine – 15 as a physician leader – Paari Gopalakrishnan, MD, MBA, has developed a patient-centered, mission-driven approach to health care. This month, Dr. Gopalakrishnan becomes GBMC’s President and Chief Executive Officer. He carries with him his personal stake in the care GBMC delivers.  

“My parents instilled in me the importance of education, hard work, kindness, and most importantly, making a positive mark on this world,” he says. “They would say, ‘It isn't about the money you make, but rather the impact you make in this world.’

“Making an impact resonated with me,” he continues. “It was my driving force in becoming a physician. As a practicing hospitalist, I had the privilege of directly supporting the well-being of my patients daily. However, it was through my involvement in a quality improvement project that I came to appreciate the broader and more lasting impact I could make for my patients and community by stepping into a leadership role. Something shifted for me. I pursued my MBA twenty years ago with the aspiration of driving meaningful change in patient care at a system level and one day becoming the CEO of a health system.”

Mission-Driven Leadership  

Originally from College Station, Texas, Dr. Gopalakrishnan spent most of his career in Rhode Island and it’s clear that the community he leaves behind will miss him. He launched Rhode Island’s first and only Hospital-at-Home program and expanded access to geriatric and specialty care, both of which align with GBMC HealthCare’s Advanced Primary Care programs and the in-home eldercare services provided through Gilchrist.  

Dr. Gopalakrishnan is also credited with leading Kent Hospital out of debt and into profitability during his four years as President and Chief Operations Officer. “This was the most complicated, complex time in my 20-plus years because healthcare policy is changing pretty dramatically,” Dr. Gopalakrishnan noted. “This is where your mission, vision, values – what the organization wants to do – has to be front and center. That has to be the true north.  

“If you keep that in front of you, then the decisions you are making are aligned with that.”  

Why GBMC

As he learns more about GBMC, Dr. Gopalakrishnan finds the health care system to be in a good position to weather the coming challenges.  

“I think Dr. Chessare’s legacy is very clear,” he says. “GBMC has invested in cancer care, in the older adult population, palliative care, and hospice. GBMC has a very loyal and aligned market.” The community support buoying GBMC, from its inception to the new home for cancer care, the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion, also attracted Dr. Gopalakrishnan to the health care system.  

Communication Is Key

Through highs and lows at Kent Hospital, Dr. Gopalakrishnan could be relied on to send messages to the hospital staff, usually including a shout-out to a specific team member whose work contributed to the quality outcomes that they strove for together. By way of inspiring his colleagues, Dr. Gopalakrishnan shared ideas and anecdotes that inspired him, quoting the likes of Gandhi and Michael Jordan and lessons learned at his mother's kitchen table. Following her example, each January he shared his Leadership Pledge with staff, closing this year with “I pledge to make you proud to work at Kent Hospital.”  

For Dr. Gopalakrishnan, leadership is less about having all the answers – an impossible goal – and more about open communication. “You have to be transparent and be able to share the direction you're trying to take,” he says. “It’s about making sure you have the right compass and knowing what direction you want to go.”  

A Bit of History

Dr. Gopalakrishnan received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, completed his internal medicine residency at Brown University, and earned his MBA with honors from Bryant University. His career spans both clinical and administrative leadership roles, including at Greenville Health System in South Carolina and earlier positions at Kent Hospital and The Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island.

Dr. Gopalakrishnan and his wife, Ellen Slater Gopalakrishnan, have been married since 2003 and have five children. Ellen is a Nurse Practitioner in hematology and oncology. Dr. Gopalakrishnan often says that his family keeps him grounded and focused on what matters most – the care we would want for our own loved ones.

Dr. Paari Gopalakrishnan arrives at GBMC in mid-September and has already participated in a meeting of the GBMC the HealthCare Board of Directors. His schedule is filling up as he prepares to engage in the community partnerships that are key to GBMC’s success.