Steve is a seasoned Healthcare Executive with over 40 years of experience. He is an expert at improving clinical and financial performance at hospitals and health systems. He has moved healthcare holding companies to operating companies, led organizational transformation through innovative and entrepreneurial culture and strategy, and grown revenue through expansion of existing services as well as the development of new services including forprofit subsidiaries, centers of excellence, and mergers/acquisitions/strategic alliances. Steve is adept at partnering creatively with physicians including joint ventures, clinical integration, and employment. He is known for mentoring, developing leadership teams, improving organizations as major employers and implementing health information systems. He has extensive experience in teaching hospitals and has implemented or broadened relationships with ten medical schools in six states. Steve is a major supporter of nursing and has initiated or assisted in extending American Nurse Credentialing Center Magnet status in multiple hospitals.
Sub-Specialties
- Health system and hospital organizational structures
- Advising governing bodies and senior executives
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Quality and financial turnarounds
- Strategy
- Physician relations, formal and informal
Professional Experience
- Principal Executive Advisor – Warbird Consulting Partners
- CEO – Baptist Health – 9 hospitals, $3B revenue
- Senior EVP – Texas Health Resources (THR) – 20+ hospitals, $4B
- CEO – Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) – 8 hospitals COO – Catholic Health Partners – 3 hospitals
- COO – Millard Fillmore Health System – 3 hospitals
- CEO – The Finley Hospital and Health Group – 1 hospital
Professional Accomplishments
Moved very loose holding company toward operating company model incorporating hospitals, health plan, physician groups, home health and other services, including complete reorganization of system governance – Baptist Health
In first two full years, generated operating margin of over $100M, compared to operating losses for prior several years – Baptist Health
Grew operating revenue by over 30% including acquisition of $350M hospital/health system and major focus on philanthropy – Baptist Health
Implemented Epic electronic health record in two systems (one with Oracle) on time and at/under budget to achieve the American Hospital Association’s Most Wired status – THR, Baptist Health
Achieved highest patient safety, quality, and experience ratings through deployment of the Joint Commission’s LEAN/Six Sigma process – Baptist Health
Put steps in place to achieve first systemwide American Nurses Credentialing Center designation (Magnet/Pathway to Excellence) in the world in 2018 – Baptist Health
Consistently achieved 5-10% operating margins in areas of responsibility – THR Led acquisition of joint venture management/development company including development of two JV hospitals, all totaling $400M per year, and integrated into overall health system – THR
Increased size of employed physician group from 100 to 800, including purchase of 440 provider group, one of the largest medical group acquisitions nationally at the time – THR
Improved cash by $75 million enabling system to continue to be a major safety net provider to present day – ARH