Forrest City Medical Center announced that John Ballard, PhD, FACHE, is the new chief executive officer of Forrest City Medical Center.
“John is highly experienced in hospital operations and uniquely qualified to serve as CEO of Forrest City,” said Dr. Sudesh Banaji, board chair. “With nearly 15 years of healthcare experience in rural areas, he understands the collaborative nature of healthcare in communities like ours.”
Most recently, Ballard served as CEO of Kentucky River Medical Center. During his tenure, he recruited providers to the area, including a general surgeon, urologist, family practitioner, ENT, and four family nurse practitioners. He also led improvements in ED performance and customer satisfaction, as well as reductions in the serious safety event rate from 0.97 to zero with no sentinel or serious safety events during the past four years.
“I am excited to join Forrest City Medical Center. After meeting some of the leadership team, I’ve been impressed by their commitment to quality and patient-centered healthcare. The hospital is poised for growth in the coming years with highly experienced medical staff and strong community support,” said Ballard. “I look forward to moving to Forrest City and becoming an active member of the community. As an avid hunter, fisherman, and outdoor lover, Forrest City will be a great fit!”
John earned his PhD of Philosophy, Epidemiology from Walden University, his Masters of Business Administration in finance from Alcorn State University, and his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Louisiana State University.