James Cervantes

Partner, Regional Health Systems Practice Lead

With a background in change management, strategic communications and medical group operations, James Cervantes has served leading academic health systems, regional and community health systems, integrated delivery networks and physician practices across a range of transformational initiatives.

Over his career, Cervantes has worked closely with health system executives and physician leaders to implement key strategic initiatives; to author communications, policies and procedures; and to advance programs focused on growth, improvement and transformation. Examples of recent work include developing a value-based care campaign to support a medical group’s Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) strategy; building a socialization and implementation plan for a community health system’s five-year strategic plan; creating a comprehensive change management plan to support the rollout of a new ERP system; and assessing the internal and external communications functions for a regional health system.  

Before joining Jarrard, Cervantes led optimization and administrative operations for Northwestern Medicine’s Regional Medical Group. There, he developed the dyad leadership structure and professional development program and oversaw optimization projects focused on improving access, advancing new care models and growing the physician platform. 

Prior to Northwestern Medicine, he served as an internal consultant and advisor to the Penn Medicine executive team, where he also led access and capacity management for the Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania (CPUP). Earlier, he held positions at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and ECG Management Consultants in Washington D.C. 

Cervantes earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University, a graduate degree in Health Systems Administration from Georgetown University and completed an administrative fellowship with the University of Pennsylvania Health System. He is Lean Six Sigma certified and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Worth Knowing:

1. Ran two Ragnar Relays
2. Makes the perfect paella
3. Former Hoosier and Hoya