Health care leader and ASU alum honored for expanding Arizonans' access to medical care

In his ASU graduate school application, Todd LaPorte ('04 MBA) wrote about his inspiration behind pursuing higher education: His grandfather.

"He said, in his broken Cajun accent, 'You'd better go. Education is freedom,'" said LaPorte while being honored at the W. P. Carey School of Business's 2026 Executive of the Year event. 

"That was powerful: My grandfather only had a third-grade education before he had to focus on a family farm, but he knew education sets the tone for quality of life and is an opportunity to make an impact on family and community."

Since becoming the 10th CEO in 2017 over HonorHealth’s century of service, LaPorte has led organizational growth and expanded access to high-quality health care for Arizonans across the state. He oversees an integrated health system that includes nine acute-care hospitals, hundreds of outpatient facilities, a research institute, a behavioral health hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, and a wide range of community services, including a food bank, an early childhood learning center, an adult daycare, and meal delivery services benefitting homebound community members.

With more than 20,000 staff, physicians and volunteers, HonorHealth is one of Arizona's largest employers.

"I'm proud of what HonorHealth has become, not only in terms of its scale or reach or impact, but because of our culture and everything embodied in nonfinancial metrics — a culture of kindness, approachability and humanity: A trusted resource for so many."

Under LaPorte's leadership, HonorHealth acquired Steward Health Care and Evernorth Care Group and affiliated with ASU's John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering. He is also a recipient of the 2026 Phoenix Business Journal's Most Admired Leaders Award for his dedication to excellence and impact in the health care industry. 

LaPorte is the 43rd recipient of the award for contributions to the business community. To commemorate the award, Ohad Kadan, Charles J. Robel Dean and W. P. Carey Distinguished Chair in Business, sat down with LaPorte for a fireside chat, where LaPorte shared anecdotes about his education, leadership and HonorHealth's burgeoning partnership with ASU. 

Question: How has your financial training and background helped or supported you in your success as CEO of HonorHealth?

Answer: I learned from my financial training through the university and experience in my early days with the CPA firm Ernst & Young about the importance of assessing risk. I spend my time on matters that most command my attention, and that takes the skill of assessing what could go wrong. Where are the risks? What are the things that could materially move the needle? I try not to let myself get too caught up in "sweating the little stuff." My financial training has helped me apply focus and look at our balance sheet to find creative ways to leverage it and understand where to take operating risks. 

Q: What other skills or knowledge have contributed to your success?

A: I was reflecting on ASU's Executive MBA program, and the curriculum was very diverse. I never thought operations management would be my favorite class — I learned so much. We had courses on human resources, compensation, strategy and information systems. All of those things were important, but the most important thing in leading at HonorHealth was making sure we took care of ourselves, understood our values, and understood how we connected with other people. That skill set is beyond finances — building your emotional intelligence, gauging what motivates people, and how to inspire people. I don't know how to define that metric, but you need to spend as much time on your emotional intelligence as you do on your subject-matter expertise. 

Q: What differentiates HonorHealth from other health systems in Arizona?

A: We're not just a hospital system anymore; we have acute-care hospitals, outpatient facilities, rehabilitative centers, behavioral health centers and food banks. We even have a special military partnership where we train critical-care nurses. 

There are many ways that we differentiate and are more than a hospital system, but what I'm most proud of is how we continue to think — we're not just here to treat people on the back end; we also have a relationship with our community where we can be a part of influencing and helping people take good care of themselves and their well-being on the front end. I don't want you to come to the hospital: I want HonorHealth to be part of what keeps you from going. Now, we'll be there when you need us, but ultimately, if we can create an impact on the community that promotes good health, that's what we're all about. 

We are also very focused on Arizona. Every other health care system in the Valley has interests outside of Arizona. HonorHealth does not, and that allows us to remain very focused on this community's needs. 

Q: HonorHealth is partnering with ASU's John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering. What opportunities and challenges do you foresee for this partnership? 

A: When I first heard there might be an opportunity to affiliate with ASU, I was really excited. I had seen firsthand the quality of ASU as a graduate student. I knew the quality of the faculty and had insights into its culture. I knew our state needed to keep training more medical professionals, and that ASU would dedicate itself to doing so. What I loved was that their vision was broader than just a school of medicine — it would truly transform health care in Arizona. 

I've had people say to me, "Aren't we demeaning health care by suggesting it's broken and that ASU needs to save it?" I thought, "Are you kidding me?" ASU, the most important institution in our state, has declared that health care is important, and it's going to lean in and take its vast, multi-disciplinary resources to make it better. It's fantastic. HonorHealth wants to avail its resources to ASU in any way we can to advance students' educational experience and to be a laboratory where they can test out innovations and ideas to see them come alive and save lives. 

The possibilities are endless. In fact, our greatest challenge is keeping focused because there are so many different places to go. 

Q: What does it take to be a successful leader of such a big organization?

A: I think about how we stay effective. How do we keep everybody working toward our common goals? I mentioned it before, but you have to care about other people and your mission. The most important thing that has driven my leadership is recognizing the value of every single person and their special gifts. I call it a spiritual gift — everybody in this room has a gift, or two, or three, or four. We'll short-change our collective effort if we don't recognize those gifts and tap into them. For me, it's about creating an inclusive environment where everyone can bring their gifts forward. It's one of the most important aspects of leadership.