William J. Gassen, JD

The Hospital Lobby's Incoming Chairman

President and CEO, Sanford Health

Integrated Hospital SystemSioux Falls, SD· Member, confirmed on the Nov. 9, 2026 agenda

Last verified November 6, 2026

Overview

Runs Sanford Health, a $12.5 billion system with 55,000 employees and nearly 415,000 health plan members before its September 2026 merger with North Memorial Health. The combined system employs 61,000 people. That deal carried Sanford into the Twin Cities under a 10-year oversight agreement with Minnesota's attorney general. He is the AHA's chair-elect and becomes its chairman in 2027. The AHA spent $29 million or more on lobbying in 2023 and is the leading institutional force against physician-owned hospitals; it opposes H.R. 3022. He joined the board of Oscar Health, a technology-driven insurer, in 2022, and the board of HealthEquity in March 2026. In July 2026 Senators Wyden and Merkley asked HHS to confirm the date he would be removed from the committee. He remains on the November 9 agenda, on the Vulnerable Populations working group. Since March 2026 he has given $10,000 to Team Jackley, a South Dakota joint fundraising committee, $5,000 to HealthEquity's PAC and $500 to the AHA PAC.

Since March 2026

What has changed

March 26, 2026Elected to the HealthEquity, Inc. (NASDAQ: HQY) board of directors effective March 26, 2026; serves on the Audit and Risk Committee and the Talent, Compensation and Culture Committee. Reported in an 8-K filed March 30, 2026. source
May 8, 2026Sanford Health announced a merger with Twin Cities-based North Memorial Health (Robbinsdale and Maple Grove hospitals). North Memorial anchors a new Sanford Twin Cities region; two North Memorial board members join the Sanford Board of Trustees. source
June 4, 2026Re-elected to the Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE: OSCR) board at the June 4, 2026 annual meeting (750,059,354 for, 24,317,674 withheld), term to the 2027 annual meeting. source
June 8, 2026FEC records show a $5,000 contribution from Bill Gassen (employer HealthEquity Inc) to HealthEquity, Inc. Purple Political Action Committee on June 8, 2026. source
June 25, 2026Elected by HealthEquity shareholders at the June 25, 2026 annual meeting (75,701,238 for, 193,566 against), term to the 2027 annual meeting. source
July 14, 2026Sens. Wyden and Merkley wrote Kennedy and Oz naming Gassen (Sanford CEO, AHA chairman-elect, Oscar Health director) and asked HHS to confirm the date he 'will be removed from the Committee'. Responses were requested by Aug 14, 2026. source
July 18, 2026T. Denny Sanford, Sanford Health's namesake and lead philanthropist, died July 18, 2026, at 90. Sanford Health published the obituary. source
July 31, 2026FEC records show a $500 contribution from Bill Gassen (Sanford Health) to the American Hospital Association PAC on July 31, 2026. source
August 28, 2026Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a 10-year oversight agreement clearing the Sanford-North Memorial merger. Terms: $600 million invested in the Maple Grove and Robbinsdale hospitals, the Level 1 trauma center kept at least a decade, quarterly meetings with the AG's office. Gassen is quoted. source
September 1, 2026Sanford Health and North Memorial Health finalized their combination as one nonprofit system, bringing Sanford into the Twin Cities for the first time; $600 million committed to Minnesota facilities over 10 years. source
September 22, 2026FEC records show a $10,000 contribution from William Gassen III (Sanford Health) to Team Jackley, a South Dakota joint fundraising committee, on Sept 22, 2026, with a $1,500 memo share to 605 Leadership PAC. source

Career arc

Professional timeline

2020–Present

President and CEO

Sanford Health

March 2026–Present

Director

HealthEquity, Inc.

December 2022–Present

Director

Oscar Health, Inc.

CAO / CHRO / Corporate Counsel

Sanford Health

Healthcare litigator

Boyce Greenfield Pashby Welk

Business interests and affiliations

•Sanford Health: $12.5B system, 55,000 employees and nearly 415,000 health plan members before the North Memorial merger; 61,000 employees and 2.5 million patients after it (Sept. 2026).
•Mergers: Marshfield Clinic Health System and Prairie Lakes Healthcare System (2025); North Memorial Health, Twin Cities (closed Sept. 1, 2026, $600 million committed to Minnesota facilities over 10 years).
•AHA Chair-elect (chairs 2027). AHA spent $29M+ lobbying in 2023.
•Oscar Health board (NYSE: OSCR), independent director since December 2022; re-elected June 2026.
•HealthEquity board (NASDAQ: HQY) since March 26, 2026; Audit and Risk, and Talent, Compensation and Culture committees.
•Chair, Coalition to Strengthen America's Healthcare.
•Four consecutive years Modern Healthcare "100 Most Influential."

Red flags

Conflicts and concerns

The AHA is the single most powerful institutional opponent of physician-owned hospitals. Its incoming chairman sits on a CMS advisory committee.

AHA actively opposes H.R. 3022 (Restoring Rights of Physicians to Own Hospitals Act): on the record as of July 2025.

Oscar Health and HealthEquity board seats: governs an insurer and a health savings account company while running a $12.5B system with its own 415,000-member health plan, and advises CMS on programs all three profit from.

Named by Senators Wyden and Merkley (July 2026), who asked HHS when he would be removed. No removal found; still on the Nov. 9, 2026 agenda.

Not a physician. JD background: former healthcare litigator.

Physician-owned hospitals

The most significant POH-adverse member on this committee. As incoming AHA chairman, Gassen represents the apex of institutional hospital lobbying against physician ownership. His presence on a CMS advisory committee is a direct channel from the hospital lobby to federal payment policy.

Sources