Robert Parker Named St. Francis-Emory Healthcare Chief Executive Officer

Following an extensive search, including strong regional and national candidates, Robert Parker has been named CEO of St. Francis-Emory Healthcare effective immediately.

Parker brings an impressive career in healthcare to Columbus spanning more than 20 years, and prior to that, more than 16 years of experience in the engineering sector, serving in top plant management roles. Parker has a tangible passion to ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality care along with smart and sustainable growth.

Most recently, he served as CEO of Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital (LCRH), a 295-bed acute care Lifepoint Health facility in Somerset, a community in South Central Kentucky.

“It’s been an absolute honor and privilege to join an extraordinarily talented team of physicians, clinicians and support staff at St. Francis-Emory Healthcare,” Parker says. “Columbus and the surrounding communities are simply wonderful and together we look forward to carrying on the incredible work this hospital is already doing, improving the health of those we serve.

“Our team has a shared goal to continue the bright path for St. Francis-Emory, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of the momentum that has been created now and for years to come.”

Serving in his CEO role at LCRH, Parker was instrumental in charting a successful evolution for his organization. Under his guidance, he successfully recruited more than 30 medical professionals and advanced substantial capital projects, including the introduction of cutting-edge medical technologies and core facility renovations.

LCRH expanded critical services, such as robotic surgery, and consistently earned a myriad of healthcare accreditations. With a keen eye on continuous process improvement initiatives, his facilities consistently advanced culture survey scores year over year. Before taking the CEO role at LCRH, his Lifepoint career also included sustained success as president of its Central Kentucky East market, consisting of both Clark Regional Medical Center, where he served a dual role as CEO, and Bourbon Community Hospital. Those teams drove operational improvements, generating growth in key areas. Parker has served as market president for Meadowview Regional Medical Center (MRMC) and Fleming County Hospital, both Lifepoint facilities, where he also served in a CEO role.