New President/CEO Named at Piedmont Healthcare

Kevin Brown has been named president and chief executive officer of Piedmont Healthcare, effective May 2013.

Brown, the 46-year-old chief executive officer for Swedish Health Services in Seattle, Wash., succeeds R. Timothy Stack, who was CEO of Piedmont Healthcare until his death on July 30, 2012, following a brief illness.

“Kevin is a great fit for Piedmont,” said Patrick M. Battey, M.D., chair of the Piedmont Healthcare Board of Directors who also has been serving as interim CEO for the five-hospital, not-for-profit health system. “He has a long track record of promoting partnerships with physician leaders and has demonstrated a commitment to keeping the patient at the center of organizational decisions with a relentless focus on quality and safety. The fact he comes from an area on the forefront of healthcare reform also is very valuable.”

Before Brown was named CEO of the largest not-for-profit healthcare provider in the greater Seattle area in 2012, he was chief strategic officer and led the development and oversight of the strategic planning office for the five-hospital health system.

As the senior vice president and chief administrative officer, he had operational responsibility for the ambulatory care division which includes Swedish/Lake Sammamish, Swedish/Redmond and Swedish/Mill Creek. He also had operational responsibility for 163-bed Swedish/Ballard and 175-bed Swedish/Issaquah. His other major accomplishments include the creation and growth of Swedish Medical Group, the re-development of Swedish Ballard, the opening of a new hospital in Issaquah, Wash., and the development of an innovative ambulatory care strategy. Prior to Swedish, Brown worked for the Providence Health System leading various strategic and business development projects. He spent five years in the early 1990s working as part of the start-up management team for PacifiCare of Washington.

“Kevin is known for his mission-driven strategic vision, innovative approach and highly effective execution. He also brings to Piedmont his experience leading medical groups, running insurance products as well as oversight of clinical operations and strategy,” said Janine Brown, vice chair Piedmont Healthcare Board of Directors and chair of the CEO search committee. “This is the right leader for our system.”

In February 2012, the affiliation agreement between Swedish and Providence Health & Service was finalized; a joining of services intended to improve healthcare quality, access and affordability for the residents of Western Washington. Brown played a key role in supporting the transition and implementation of that agreement. 

“I am honored to be chosen for this role. Piedmont is well-respected across the country for both a tradition of innovation and a commitment to delivering excellent clinical care on behalf of the community,” Kevin Brown said. “I look forward to working with the board, physicians, employees, donors and volunteers to continue to build upon that legacy for the future.”

In September 2004, Brown was chosen as one of the Puget Sound Business Journal's “40 Under 40.” He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a master's degree in healthcare administration from Arizona State University. Brown currently resides in Bellevue, Wash., with his wife Elizabeth and their three children.

“On behalf of the Piedmont Healthcare Board, I share our deepest gratitude for the exceptional leadership of Dr. Battey and Greg Hurst, president of finance and development and interim chief operating officer, over the last several months as we searched for a new chief executive officer,” Janine Brown said.