Four UAB St. Vincent’s leaders were selected for the Becker’s Hospital Review 2026 list of “Community Hospital CEOs to Know”.
This year’s list honors 240 presidents, administrators, and CEOs who are positioning their community hospitals for success and making a positive impact on the communities they serve. This recognition reflects their visionary leadership, willingness to collaborate, and commitment to advancing UAB Medicine’s mission to providing life-changing care.
Gregory Brown, administrator – UAB St. Vincent’s Blount
Under Brown’s leadership, UAB St. Vincent’s Blount has added a wide range of service lines. These include inpatient and outpatient wound care, hospitalist medicine cardiopulmonary rehab, an outpatient geriatric psychology program, hospice and respite care, and a pain management program.
In addition, telehealth services have been expanded to include tele-psychiatry, tele-stroke, tele-cardiology, tele-nephrology, tele-hospitalist, tele-ICU, and tele-trauma programs. Also during Brown’s tenure, the hospital opened a retail pharmacy, a two-bed sleep lab, an infusion clinic, and two rural health clinics.
Suzannah Campbell, CEO – UAB St. Vincent’s East
Campbell oversees hospital operations, strategic growth, and quality outcomes at UAB St. Vincent’s East and has sustained effective staffing models while fostering a culture of accountability among medical staff.
During her tenure as CEO, the observed-to-expected mortality ratio improved from 1.90 to 0.728, with similar improvements in outcomes for acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, and sepsis.
Also, Campbell strengthened the cardiology program by adding electrophysiology services and a dedicated 23-bed cardiology unit, while expanding telehealth access through tele-cardiology, tele-stroke, and tele-ICU services.
In addition, she supported the transition of a pulmonology practice to an employed model and helped establish an intensivist program to improve care coordination.
Lisa Nichols, administrator – UAB St. Vincent’s St. Clair
Under Nichols’ leadership, UAB St. Vincent’s St. Clair has seen steady growth in both inpatient admissions and emergency department volume.
She has driven improvements in patient satisfaction scores, earning high national ratings and expanding access to high-quality patient care while supporting staff and ensuring safe and efficient hospital operations.
With her background as a registered nurse, Nichols brings clinical insight and credibility that foster collaboration with hospital staff.
Kenny Shafer, CEO – UAB St. Vincent’s Birmingham
Since Shafer took on this role in 2025, he has led daily operations and guided the integration of UAB St. Vincent’s Birmingham into UAB Health System. He works closely with clinical leadership and community partners to support future growth and ensure greater continuity of care.
Previously, Shafer was CEO of Johnson City Medical Center, a 445-bed flagship teaching hospital in northeast Tennessee. There, he was responsible for more than 3,000 team members and 1,000 medical staff.
Shafer has over a decade of healthcare leadership experience and a strong track record of expanding access to care.