Children's National Taps New Leadership for Chief Risk Officer and Chief Compliance Officer Positions

Washington, DC – Children’s National Health System has promoted Rebecca Cady, Esq., BSN, CPHRM, DFASHRM, to the role of Vice President, Chief Risk Officer and tapped Catherine Hess, Esq., to join the organization as Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer.

In her new role, Ms. Cady will handle the day-to-day operations of legal services, risk management, insurance, workers' compensation, and management of Children’s captive insurance company. A national leader in the development of enterprise risk management standards in healthcare organizations, Ms. Cady has served as Deputy Risk Counsel at Children’s National since 2008.

During her tenure, Ms. Cady has led critical initiatives that have strengthened the risk program at Children’s National, and most recently, she led the organization in completing a system enterprise risk assessment and action plan, in addition to leading a major restructuring of Children’s litigation and claims program.

“Ms. Cady’s dedication is apparent,” says Mary Anne Hilliard, Esq., Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. “She has worked to ensure that the organization takes a proactive and comprehensive approach to all avenues of risk, whether it’s for our patients, staff, or the organization as a whole.”

With nearly 20 years of experience in healthcare compliance, ethics and investigations, Catherine Hess, Esq., will be responsible for all areas of Children’s National compliance.

“Ms. Hess’ expertise in all elements of compliance will be a critical component as our organization grows and changes,” states Ms. Hilliard. “Her guidance will ensure we are able to continue to meet the regulatory requirements of the rapidly changing healthcare environment.”

Ms. Hess comes to Children’s National after holding a partnership in a renowned law firm where she focused on investigations and compliance for healthcare clients, including health systems and not-for-profits. Before joining the firm, she was Senior Counsel with the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. There, she led multiple efforts to educate the provider community about compliance risks and oversaw a diverse and complex portfolio of cases involving alleged violations of federal fraud and abuse statutes and regulations. Ms. Hess began her professional career as a social worker.

Ms. Hilliard adds, “These are two individuals who are strong advocates for pediatric healthcare. They will work diligently to keep our patients and families at the center of what we do, while mitigating safety and compliance issues and risks.” 

Contact: Emily Hartman at 202-476-4500