Luis Garcia, MD, FACS, MBA, FACHE, is president of the Rush Medical Group. He serves as a crucial executive champion for Rush’s clinical integration and system value-based strategic initiatives, including population health, health equity and value-based outcomes.
Garcia is leading the integration of nearly 1,000 Rush employed physicians and 500 advanced practice providers into a unified multispecialty medical group. He provides transformational leadership while building an enterprise-wide physician organization, enabling the growth and consolidation of an integrated healthcare delivery network of the highest quality.
Garcia brings extensive clinical, operational and educational experience to his role, contributing to new and innovative ways to provide high-quality patient care, increase efficiencies, enhance fiscal performance and lead growth and expansion of Rush’s clinical services, both in the inpatient and ambulatory setting.
A board-certified surgeon who specializes in advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgeries, Garcia was born and raised in Mexico City, where he attended medical school at La Salle University. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and did a mini-fellowship in bariatric surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He holds a Master's in Healthcare Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas, Opus College of Business and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Garcia came to Rush from Sanford Health System in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he served as president of Sanford Health’s Clinic division since 2019. Before becoming president of Sanford Clinic, Garcia served as chair of bariatric surgery for the Sanford Health system and as medical director of the Sanford Eating Disorders and Weight Management Center.
Garcia is a recognized thought leader in topics of health care systems integration, medical group governance, practice standardization, workforce challenges and leadership development. Throughout his career, he has spearheaded initiatives related to organizational culture, clinician engagement, well-being, leadership development and DE&I. As a credible industry leader, Garcia frequently participates in expert panels and national and international meetings.
Garcia is involved in committees and governing bodies of recognized national organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Medical Group Association. He is also the founder of the Dakota Yellowstone Chapter of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), the Rural Surgery Committee of the ASMBS and a founding member of Northern Plains Rural Surgical Society.
Garcia is a co-founder and board member of the International Esperanza Project and for the last decade he has supported medical mission trips to communities in central America (Guatemala).
Garcia, his wife, Greta, and their children, Macie, Cameron, Madison and Ainsley, place a strong emphasis in community engagement and support several non-for-profit foundations like the Make-a-Wish foundation, Los Cabos Children’s Foundation and International Esperanza Project, to name a few.