Murray appointed following recommendation and confirmation by the Confluence Health Board
information released
Confluence Health announced today that Dr. James Murray has been selected as chief physician executive, following recommendation and confirmation by the Confluence Health Board last month.
The chief physician executive position is a newly created role at Confluence Health, and Dr. Murray will be the first to serve in this capacity. Dr. Murray has served as chief medical officer (CMO) since July 2023, and selection for a new CMO as he transitions to the chief physician executive role is currently underway.
The new chief physician executive position strengthens physician input and responsibility for clinical operations and service line performance across Confluence Health. While the CMO role Dr. Murray previously held will continue focusing on quality, safety, and medical staff leadership, the chief physician executive concentrates on how care is organized, accessed, and delivered day to day—working closely with physicians and care teams to improve alignment, consistency, and follow‑through across the system. This new role deepens physician input at the enterprise level and helps ensure decisions are informed by clinical experience, supporting more coordinated care and better outcomes for patients throughout North Central Washington.
“I’m looking forward to stepping into this role as we continue serving the residents of North Central Washington with compassionate, excellent care,” remarked Dr. Murray.
“This position is about working closely with physicians and care teams to improve access, coordination, and consistency, so patients across North Central Washington experience the right care, at the right time, in the right setting. Bringing physician perspective into this work is essential, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help advance how we serve our community.”
Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Murray joined what would later become Confluence Health in 2005 as a hospitalist. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and an internship in general surgery at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia, after earning his medical degree from Loyola University. With interests in critical care and medical education, Dr. Murray has previously served as medical director for inpatient medicine and core medical director for specialty and ancillary medicine for Confluence Health, before most recently serving as CMO.
“I fully support the board’s decision to establish this role and to select Dr. Murray as our first chief physician executive, which will strengthen physician leadership at the enterprise level and help ensure clinical insight is closely connected to how we operate and improve as a system,” commented Dr. Andrew Jones, CEO of Confluence Health. “Dr. Murray brings years of leadership experience at Confluence Health and has rightly earned the respect of his colleagues through his work as a physician leader and as CMO. I’m confident he will continue the thoughtful, physician-informed approach our teams value. This role will support better alignment, clearer focus, and better care for our patients across North Central Washington as we continue moving forward together.”
About Confluence Health
Confluence Health serves the largest geographic region of any healthcare system in Washington State, covering over 12,000 square miles of Okanogan, Grant, Douglas, and Chelan counties. Confluence Health is one of only two locally-lead healthcare systems in the state with the purpose of maintaining availability and access to high-quality, cost-effective healthcare services for North Central Washington. The Confluence Health Board of Directors provides governance for Confluence Health and includes nine community board members and six physician board members.
