Denny DeNarvaez, co-chair

President, Abbott Northwestern Hospital

“One of the outstanding features of Abbott Northwestern Hospital is its commitment to the neighborhood it has been a part of for 120 years. I have been part of the Twin Cities community for four years, and in that time have been struck by the level, and sophistication, of involvement that the hospital brings to Phillips. It’s a tribute to the visionary leadership of the business community and public officials, and I am glad to be a participant.

“Abbott Northwestern really is a Phillips neighbor. Our mission is healing. The Phillips Partnership helps us extend that mission to our neighborhood. We help heal in our own neighborhood when we work to prevent violence, expand opportunity, and adequately house our neighbors. We have learned a lot about this kind of healing along the way.
“The Phillips Partnership has provided opportunities for Abbott Northwestern to connect its mission with the neighborhood. The Health Careers Institute, Train-to-Work, and the Joseph Selvaggio Housing Initiative have increased the number of employees calling Phillips home by over 70% in the last two years alone. Improving the housing stock improves the neighborhood’s atmosphere, and decreasing crime rates help us recruit employees and patients. Those achievements are good for the hospital, good for our employees, and good for the neighborhood. We are proud of that success.”

Background

Denny DeNarvaez is president of Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Born and raised in Canada, she moved as a teenager to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
In 1983, Denny joined International Medical Centers in Miami as director of finance and later moved to Thomas J. Merlo & Company where she was audit manager. Florida Medical Center recruited Denny in 1989 as their chief financial officer, and within four years, she had been promoted to chief executive officer and was running the medical center, which included more than 1,250 employees, 459 beds and over $25 million in earnings.
In 1998, Denny and her family moved to the Twin Cities to be close to her son, who was attending high school as a boarding student at Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault. At that time, she joined Allina Health System and began working for Medica as director of contracting. Two years later, she accepted the position of operations vice president, cardiovascular services, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital/Minneapolis Heart Institute. In October 2001 Denny served as interim chief operating officer of Abbott Northwestern Hospital and she was promoted to president of the hospital in March 2002.
Education
B.A., magna cum laude, in Accounting, Drake University. Certified Public Accountant.