DT | CEO Series - Charlie Shields, Truman Medical Centers - 11:30 a.m.

Charlie Shields serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Truman Medical Centers (TMC). Charlie joined TMC in July 2010 as Chief Operating Officer of TMC Lakewood in Kansas City, Mo. He assumed his current role in July, 2014.

Charlie’s vision for TMC is to lead the way to a healthier Kansas City. His priorities include improving organizational performance; enhancing communication among staff, medical providers and patients; and working with physicians and leaders to develop innovative ways to meet the growing health needs of our community.

During his tenure at TMC Lakewood, Charlie oversaw significant change and growth. His accomplishments included: opening the Lakewood Family Birthplace, a 19-bed labor/delivery/recovery/post-partum unit completed in October 2011, which accommodates 1,800 births a year; developing an integrated program of behavioral health services for older adults, including opening an innovative 14-bed inpatient acute care geriatric psychiatric unit and establishing an intensive outpatient program for older adults at Lakewood Counseling Service; acquiring, Medical Imaging Eastland, a successful diagnostic imaging center in Independence; creating the Eastland Breast Center within Medical Imaging Eastland, a community-focused center to treat breast cancer and care for the patient from detection to remission; completing construction on Fairmount Family Medicine, a new outpatient primary care center located in underserved northwestern Independence; establishing an elementary school-based mobile dental care program in conjunction with the Independence School District; and opening a full-service Walgreens Pharmacy onsite.

Prior to coming to TMC, Charlie spent 20 years in the Missouri General Assembly and served as President Pro-Tem of the Missouri Senate from 2009-2011. He began his career in healthcare and spent 17 years with Heartland Health (now Mosaic Life Care) in St. Joseph, Missouri where he served in a variety of leadership roles, including Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.

Charlie is actively engaged in leadership roles with several community partnerships. These include the Missouri Hospital Association, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Civic Council, Metropolitan Community College Foundation Board of Directors, Urban Neighborhood Initiative Kansas City, Truman Heartland Community Foundation and Starlight Board of Directors. He was appointed to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – State Board of Education by Governor Jay Nixon in August, 2012. He was elected board president, effective July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2017.