Chris Waugh

As Sutter Health’s first Chief Innovation Officer, Chris Waugh applies his extensive experience in human-centered design to guide the integrated network’s innovation strategy. Human-centered design is a creative approach that seeks personalized solutions to meet individual needs — understanding people and their behaviors, identifying trends and exploring solutions that improve a person’s healthcare experience — in order to make healthcare more usable and accessible for patients, doctors and nurses. At Sutter, Waugh has spearheaded the digital transformation of healthcare and the implementation of Tera — a virtual-first medical practice that aims to best resolve issues before patients have to schedule an in-person appointment. This work is driven by the idea that healthcare should fit into the patient’s life, and not the other way around. He is also passionate about taking on mental health issues and driving simpler, easier-to-navigate and more resonate healthcare for all patients. 

Before joining Sutter Health, Waugh held entrepreneurial leadership roles at IDEO, a globally regarded Bay Area design and innovation firm, and was vice president of design at One Medical Group in San Francisco where he helped create a culture of innovation.

He is an affiliated member of both Rock Health and Innovation 50.

Waugh graduated from Fort Lewis College in Colorado, with bachelor’s degrees in international business and French.