Elevating Healthcare Performance Through Partnership

Over the course of three days in April, HealthTrust hosted an Executive Advisory Summit in Charleston, South Carolina. The event brought together C-suite leaders from across the country to col­laborate on the most pressing challenges and opportunities shaping the future of healthcare.

The annual summit serves as a platform for meaningful dialogue, peer connection and actionable insights to support healthcare organizations throughout our membership. Attendees engaged in dynamic discussions focused on navigating labor pressures, advancing clinical and operational innovation, and leveraging emerging technologies to improve outcomes and efficiency. (Explore the 2026 Executive Advisory Summit)

HTU’26 in Denver

When the team met to consider themes for this year’s HealthTrust University Conference (HTU), we selected Elevating Excellence. Not only does it embody the higher altitude of our destination city—Denver—but it parallels our quest to deliver next-level solutions for performance improvement that help move providers from good to great. It also exemplifies the depth of the relationships we have with our members and contracted suppliers, as well as our shared goal of helping providers achieve their missions.

In an age when healthcare organizations are facing financial instability, workforce shortages and mounting operational costs, Elevating Excellence offers a compelling invitation to strengthen partnerships that are focused on sustainable success.

Breakout sessions at HTU will feature experts from within the membership and from the HealthTrust team who have partnered to reveal how they are driving innovation, operational efficiencies and performance transformation through real-world case studies, insightful recommendations and proven methodologies. We encourage you to come ready to discover tools to identify performance gaps, adopt best practices and cultivate an environment of continuous improvement when you return home.

My next chapter

As you have likely heard, I made the decision to retire in August after 43 years in healthcare—the last 14 serving as your president and CEO at HealthTrust. I have been blessed to have served for so long doing work that I’ve always been passionate about. And, none of which would have been possible without the love and support of my family.

Our oldest granddaughter starts kindergarten in August and has requested that I take her to the first day of school. In September our family will expand further with the birth of grandchild number four. I am looking forward to these events and experiencing even more of the special moments that come from being a grandfather.

I have been honored to serve on the board of HealthTrust since its inception, moving into a leadership role in 2006. It has truly been the privilege of a lifetime to work alongside such a passionate team in making missions possible for the provider organizations that comprise the HealthTrust membership.

Thank you for your trust in me as well as the collaboration and support—especially when it’s not been easy. Together, we have navigated an evolving healthcare landscape and overcome a number of challenges. I hope you have felt the bond of that partnership and that we continually pursued a standard of “elevating excellence” in all facets of our work together.

While I look forward to the next chapter of my life, stepping away from the people I’ve been fortunate to share a work-life with is certainly bittersweet. I will look back fondly on the relationships behind “the work” and certainly cherish those who I am honored to call friends.

I wish you the very best in the years to come as you carry on with the vital work of your missions. Together, with the HealthTrust team, I know you will continue to do great things for our industry, for patients and for one another. All the best.

 

 

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