Ralph Lillard has over 34 years of professional experience in
Health Care Administration and during this time has given his unique gift of enabling health
care organizations to provide value to the patient(s) by improving the quality of care,
reducing medical cost, and improving customer/patient satisfaction concurrently. Mr Lillard
has a proven record of management excellence in the areas of general acute health care, home
health, outpatient, physician services, and property management. The success of Mr. Lillard's
efforts, namely the ability to integrate financial and medical issues thereby bringing value
to the patient(s), has been acknowledged in the Methodist HealthCare System (MHS) having won
the Tennessee Quality Award four different years, including the state's highest prize --
The Tennessee Quality Governors Award. This award, which is based on the Baldrige criteria,
was the first time a hospital had ever achieved this honor.
As President and CEO of MHS, Oak Ridge, TN, Mr. Lillard worked with the Board of Directors,
medical staff, and the community to build a positive consensus and momentum for the consolidation
of MHS and Ft. Sanders Alliance to form Covenant Health with $1.1 billion in annual revenue and
15,000 employees. His responsibilities with this new organization included general corporate
management and general operating responsibilities for five divisions and/or companies.
Since 1998, Mr. Lillard has worked as a management consultant with small,
start-up organizations to help them become established, successful,
and vibrant business within the community.