mark behl '92
Reflecting on UW-Parkside
Why did you decide to attend UW-Parkside?
I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but grew up and attended high school in Nevada. When looking at where to attend college, I knew that I wanted to do so closer to family in Wisconsin. I wanted to play basketball, and UW-Parkside was one of the Wisconsin colleges that offered me a scholarship. When touring the University campus, I fell in love with the beautiful setting, the proximity to both Milwaukee and Chicago, as well as the more intimate size and scope of the school.
What activities were you involved in at UW-Parkside?
I played basketball my freshman year at UW-Parkside. I had a number of injuries that prevented me from continuing to play for the UWP team, and so I switched to intramural basketball. I also enjoyed spending time at the field center, hiking the cross country trails, and attending social events on and off campus.
How did your UW-Parkside experience impact your professional or personal life?
My experience at UW-Parkside had a significant impact in both my professional and personal life. On the professional side, I learned the value of hard work, networking, and self-motivation. The high school I attended was a strict and disciplined environment. In college, the education is something that is up to you to make whatever becomes of it. I had to learn that. It was incredibly impactful to go through that process of learning how to transition from everything being structured and set for you, to having to rely on your own drive and self-discipline.
Professional and Personal Highlights
What has been one of the top highlights of your career?
The top highlight of my career has been when I have participated on a team that has accomplished something that others said was not possible. And the most gratifying feeling one can have is to know that you made a difference in the world – which is why I went into healthcare, because I love the feeling I get when I know that my work helped do so.
Who has had the biggest influence on your life or your career and why?
My father had a significant impact on me. He instilled a strong work ethic, drive and determination, and also demonstrated the importance of relationships and treating others how you would want to be treated.
What is your favorite inspirational quote?
My favorite quote is one by John Lennon:
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
What is something that would surprise us about you?
I like to play the guitar and listen to classical music.
Advice from Mark
What advice do you have for current UW-Parkside Students?
Be open-minded during your time at UW-Parkside as you embark upon your transition into your new career and the next chapter on your life journey. During your college experience, I would encourage you to branch out, try subjects that are not within your comfort zone. Follow your passion, regardless of how outrageous or realistic it may seem to others. Aim high, set big goals for yourself as a professional, as a friend, as a partner – because no matter what, even if you never reach the highest mountain top you have in sight, you will appreciate how far you have traveled along the way.
Mark Behl, MHA, MBA, was recently named the President and CEO for NorthBay Health which has headquarters in Fairfield, California which is located in the North Bay Area of Northern California. NorthBay Health is a regional integrated health system with two hospitals, a health plan, and various primary, specialty and ancillary service clinics. Prior to NorthBay Health, Mr. Behl was theExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network (F&MCW) since 2020. Under the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin brand, the system includes 10 hospitals, 3 regional markets, and over 100 ambulatory clinics and health centers.
In his role, Mr. Behl led the systems operations and care delivery for the hospitals in the regional markets, micro-hospitals, service lines, ancillary services which included Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories (WDL), pharmacy, imaging and ambulatory clinic operations. In addition, he was responsible for the F&MCW Network Development throughout Wisconsin. He also led broad enterprise-wide initiatives to improve the quality of care, patient experience, operational effectiveness and efficiency, daily management systems, and financial improvement.
He has led numerous start-ups, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and affiliations between health systems, community partners, and various third-party relationships. He brings extensive knowledge in value-based arrangements, including shared savings, risk-based, and capitation models. He has been responsible for population management organizations (PMO), managed services organizations (MSO), and has been the lead architect in designing future patient engagement centers for some of the largest healthcare systems in the US.
Before joining Froedtert in 2020, he held senior leadership roles across several organizations, including both Academic Health Systems (AHS) and Community-Based Integrated Delivery Networks (IDN). He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dignity Health Medical Foundation across the state of California from 2018 through 2020. In this role, he also held the title of Senior Vice President Physician Enterprise (West Region) for the parent organization, CommonSpirit Health. His responsibilities included overseeing 150+ clinics and 3,500 staff and physicians, across six (6) California markets.
His career has included progressive management and leadership roles across several organizations, including Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Clinical Practice Organization at UC San Diego Health in San Diego, CA and System Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Renown Medical Group at Renown Health in Reno, Nevada.
He earned a Master’s in healthcare administration (MHA) from Seton Hall University, a Master’s in business administration (MBA) from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. He loves spending time with family on outdoor activities including hiking, golfing, and skiing. His wife Sara is a native Californian and together they have six (6) children throughout the country that they love to spend time with whenever possible.
