A passion to serve

Serving others has always been part of Pete McCanna's DNA. Meet the CEO of Baylor Scott & White Health.

When Pete McCanna first joined Baylor Scott & White Health as president in 2017, he was drawn to the organization because of its commitment to serving others, its outstanding reputation and the opportunity to make a lasting impact in the health of communities—an intersection of his personal passions and values. He has since found that what makes Baylor Scott & White truly special is its people, and as the new chief executive officer, it is his honor to lead a team motivated by its Mission.

Growing up in a family with seven children in a small town in Wisconsin taught Pete the importance of teamwork and inspired him to seek a career in which he could give back.

“My parents encouraged me to seek and pursue my calling to help others,” shared Pete. “I was drawn to healthcare because it provided the opportunity to blend my passion for social justice and my love of serving others. I have stayed here for more than 30 years because I continue to be inspired by the people and teams I get to work alongside.” 

"You have to be able to care for the whole person and everything they need along their healthcare journey. That's really what the challenge is in my mind, and I believe we are better positioned than any organization in the country to shape the future of healthcare." Pete McCanna, CEO

Learning the Power of Teamwork

Pete had early firsthand insight into the importance of having the right team in place and the need to work together to achieve a common goal.

After earning his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, he joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, supporting their mission work in Alaska.

As a volunteer, Pete had a dual responsibility as a DJ and overseeing news and educational programming for a radio station that served the western half of the state. The radio station played a vital role in the community, and it was his task to increase awareness about public health and social services.

As you might imagine, Pete learned many important life lessons during his time in Alaska. Perhaps one of the most memorable lessons he learned was while covering the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, traveling checkpoint to checkpoint in a two-seat bush plane.

Months before the race, sled dogs and their musher (the only team member with just two legs) learn to work together as one, pursuing the same goal. Through a brutal Alaskan winter, they traveled through the remote wildernesses, competing against other teams and the clock. Their intensity and focus were evident, as was their unwavering commitment to the team.

Pete draws many parallels between that experience in Alaska and the work he sees across Baylor Scott & White each day. “We are a team united by our Mission,” said Pete. “Your personal success and the organization’s success are all about the team—we are in it together. If you get that right, you can achieve anything.”

Driven by Mission, Grounded by Family

The importance of surrounding yourself with the right team has spilled over into Pete’s personal life as well. He warms with pride as he talks about his wife of 35 years, Maria, and her heart for serving others through her former career as a nurse and her ongoing support of him since their earliest days together at The University of Texas. They met while she was pursuing her degree in nursing and he was finishing his master’s degree, and today, they have three daughters: Carmen, Catherine and Carla.

Maria and Pete McCanna

Pete credits his three daughters—(from left) Carmen, Catherine, and Carla—with keeping him humble and grounded.

“Maria and I are so incredibly proud of our girls—their compassion for others, their commitment to hard work and doing what’s right, and their ability to keep me grounded,” laughed Pete. “To them, I’m not CEO of the largest not-for-profit health system in Texas, I’m dad, and they never hesitate to tell me what to do, say or wear. If three daughters in their 20s can’t keep you humbled and grounded, I don’t know what can.”

Shaping Care for the Future

Looking toward the future, Pete has his sights set high. He understands that since he joined the System four and a half years ago, the needs and expectations of those served by Baylor Scott & White have rapidly evolved—the healthcare industry is in a time of extraordinary change.

“This is a time of great opportunity to deepen the connection between our work and our purpose. Our team has the talent, dedication, tools and resources to become the most customer-centric, the most accessible, the most frictionless, the most personalized for patients,” he explained. “We will look for even more ways to amplify our Mission-driven efforts and extend our legacy of leadership and service.”

Pete elaborated that it’s more than just responding to evolving customer wants—it’s looking at healthcare through the lens of the patients who are consuming it. After watching his parents, who are in their 80s, try to navigate their own medical care and encounter countless difficulties and challenges along the way, he knows the future of care continues to demand clinical excellence, but also personalization.

“You have to be able to care for the whole person and everything they need along their healthcare journey,” Pete shared. “That’s really what the challenge is in my mind, and I believe we are better positioned than any organization in the country to shape the future of healthcare.”