Following years of planning and preparation, three key members of Baptist Memorial Health Care’s senior leadership team – Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Paul DePriest, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Bill Griffin and Vice President of Managed Care and CEO of Baptist Health Services Group (BHSG) David Elliott – have decided to retire during the 2024 fiscal year.
“These leaders have contributed so much to our organization over the years, and I thank them for their devoted service and distinguished leadership,” said Jason Little, Baptist Memorial Health Care’s president and CEO. “We will continue to benefit from their wisdom and talent well beyond their respective retirements.”
Dr. Paul DePriest joined Baptist 11 years ago as vice president and chief medical officer. He was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2014. Dr. DePriest created the Baptist Management System to anchor the principle of continuous improvement throughout the organization. He formed partnerships with physicians to advance new service lines for patients and led all operational units with empathy and dedication.
Dr. DePriest’s work as the architect of Baptist’s COVID-19 response put the organization ahead of the curve. Not only were our facilities ready to face the many challenges that surfaced unexpectedly, but they often were the first or only in their communities to offer crucial services and treatment. This engendered tremendous loyalty and trust among community leaders, patients and team members throughout our service area.
Bill Griffin has had a long association with Baptist, which began in 1987 where, as a certified public accountant with KPMG, he oversaw external audit/financial services to the organization. In 1993, he joined Baptist and has held some of the most important financial positions in the organization: chief financial officer for Baptist Golden Triangle and Baptist Medical Center/East; system director of finance for managed care, contract management and physician network operations; chief financial officer of the Baptist Integrated Delivery System; vice president of corporate finance; corporate privacy and security officer; and his current role.
His counsel and positioning of Baptist’s assets have resulted in a very strong balance sheet on which our organization can rely. He has kept Baptist on firm financial ground, ensuring that we could consistently deliver the level of care patients need and deserve.
David Elliott began his career with Baptist 26 years ago as a BHSG executive director, and in just three years, he became the system’s vice president of managed care and the CEO of BHSG. His skills as a negotiator and relationship builder have helped Baptist navigate the complex managed care environment.
Elliott established and maintained relationships with insurance companies, brokers and employers. As health care has evolved, he has helped Baptist take advantage of new opportunities in direct employer sales, bundled care arrangements and reference-based pricing innovations. His ability to create win-win negotiations to serve the organization has made him keenly respected throughout the industry.
These leaders will continue to prepare Baptist for the future during their remaining months with the organization.
