Charles L. Stewart
Hutcheson Medical Center’s Board of Directors on Tuesday announced the selection of Charles L. Stewart as the hospital’s new president and chief executive officer. Mr. Stewart will begin his service with Hutcheson on Sept. 12.
Mr. Stewart has over 15 years of extensive experience at the chief executive officer level in hospital administration, including strategic planning and operations, medical staff relations, employee and community relations. Mr. Stewart has served as a hospital administrator and system executive vice president for the DCH Health System since 1996, a 1000 bed non-profit, integrated health system comprised of 4 hospitals with gross revenues of $1 billion.
His DCH responsibilities included managing Northport Medical Center, a 204 bed community hospital, where he was instrumental in leading a financial turnaround, achieved highest employee satisfaction ratings within the health system, and created a customer-focused culture improving patient satisfaction scores from the 34th to the 98th percentile (Press-Ganey benchmark).
Prior to that, Mr. Stewart served in various executive and senior level positions for hospital systems throughout the Southeast and has consistently demonstrated financial improvements with operating margins while expanding hospital services, officials said.
“I am very excited and optimistic about the future of Hutcheson Medical Center with Mr. Stewart in this leadership role,” Dr. Lori Emerson, Chair, Board of Directors for Hutcheson Medical Center, Inc., said. “He brings a level of education and experience to us that will enable HMC to provide health care at a new level of excellence for the people of this community.”
Mr. Stewart holds his Masters of Science degree in Hospital and Health Administration and his Masters of Arts degree in Education and Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Education from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. He received the American College of Healthcare Executive Regent’s award as the 2005 Senior Healthcare Executive for the Alabama Chapter.
His civic and professional affiliations include serving as board member of the Alabama Hospital Association; president of the West Alabama Hospital Council; Regent’s Advisory Council for the American College of Healthcare Executives; founding board member of the Alabama Health Network; past chairman of West Alabama’s Chamber of Commerce Northport Advisory Committee; chairman and board member of the Tuscaloosa Morning Rotary Club; and several other local civic organizations. He is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Tuscaloosa.
Mr. Stewart has been married for 18 years to Sena Scott of North Carolina. Mrs. Stewart currently holds the position of Executive Director of Challenge 21, a non-profit community strategic planning organization. They have one daughter, Alexandra, who is 11 years old. He and his family currently reside in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and will relocate to the North Georgia area.
Mr. Stewart will replace David Snyder, Hutcheson’s interim president and chief executive officer. Mr. Snyder was appointed to serve as interim CEO in January 2005, following Dr. Ralph Nipp’s retirement in December 2004.