Tufts Medicine announced that two senior executives — its CEO and CFO — will step down as the health system pursues a financial turnaround. Mike Dandorph, who has served as Tufts’ chief executive since January 2020, will leave the role effective at the end of September 2026. Andrew Devoe, the system’s chief financial officer of two years, also is departing.
The board named internal leaders to manage the immediate transitions: Phil Okala, Tufts’ chief operating officer, will assume the CEO role when Dandorph departs, and Greg Kruse, vice president of strategic operations and analytics intelligence, will take over budget planning and oversight of some financial services operations while a national search for a permanent CFO is launched.
Dandorph will remain in place through the close of Tufts Medicine’s 2026 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, 2026. At that time Phil Okala — who has held several leadership posts at Tufts and in other healthcare organizations — will formally become CEO.
Andrew Devoe’s departure was announced concurrently; Greg Kruse will handle budget planning responsibilities and some elements of financial services on an interim basis. The source states that Tufts has begun a national search for a replacement for Devoe, but provides no additional details about the search timeline or candidates.
The leadership changes were framed by the board as part of a broader effort to strengthen Tufts Medicine’s financial position. The system reported a $51.6 million net loss in fiscal year 2025, an improvement from a $214 million net loss in the prior year, according to published financial documents cited in the source. Board leadership described the organization as entering the next phase of a financial turnaround with increased focus and discipline.
Source reporting links the health system’s financial stress to industrywide pressures that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, including revenue declines and workforce shortages. The memo from Phil Lembo, chair of Tufts’ board of trustees, noted Dandorph’s leadership in advancing access to care and research while navigating those “unprecedented financial challenges and policy changes shaping the industry.”
Tufts Medicine has implemented multiple workforce and business-structure actions in recent years as part of efforts to reduce costs and address capacity challenges. In 2024 the system laid off 174 employees — reported as about 1% of its workforce — citing high labor costs and capacity issues. In 2023 it cut 70 administrative positions.
In addition, Tufts sold its laboratory outreach testing business to Labcorp, a transaction the source reports resulted in the elimination of about 600 roles tied to that operation. These actions were described in the article as part of longer-term steps to restore financial stability.
Greg Kruse, currently vice president of strategic operations and analytics intelligence, will assume responsibility for budget planning and will oversee certain financial services operations while Tufts conducts a national search for Andrew Devoe’s successor. The source does not provide the expected duration of Kruse’s interim responsibilities or further specifics on the national search process.
The source states that Kruse’s assignment is intended to maintain continuity in budget planning and financial operations during the transition; no new financial strategy or policy changes beyond the staffing adjustments were reported.
Board chair Phil Lembo emphasized that Tufts had generated “significant momentum” and described the next phase of the turnaround as requiring greater focus, discipline and purpose. The memo from Lembo acknowledged the persistent work remaining to fully stabilize the health system’s finances.
Phil Okala, the incoming CEO, conveyed continuity of priorities, saying the organization’s focus remains on serving patients and communities, supporting staff, and strengthening the financial position while continuing Tufts Medicine’s mission. Mike Dandorph characterized the leadership change as being in the best interest of the organization and occurring at the right time; he will remain through the fiscal year end.
Tufts Medicine operates four hospitals in eastern Massachusetts. The system’s recent public disclosures and reporting cited in the source link the leadership changes to multi-year financial pressures that intensified after the pandemic, including lower revenues and workforce shortages. The article uses Tufts’ public financial documents to illustrate improvement in annual operating results, while noting that substantial work remains to complete the turnaround.
The source does not provide additional operational or strategic details beyond the leadership appointments and the financial and workforce actions described above, and no further timelines or names for the permanent CFO search were reported.