Brinkley, 63, has been at the helm of Louisville-based KentuckyOne Health since it was formed in 2012 through the merger of Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare and St. Joseph's Health System. Brinkley also serves as senior VP of operations at Catholic Health Initiatives, KentuckyOne's parent. She has embraced healthcare technology, promoting telehealth and the Anywhere Care program, which provides patients access to a physician 24/7. Under Brinkley's leadership, KentuckyOne also built Healthy Lifestyle Centers, which aims to improve population health by providing fitness and rehabilitation services. Before joining KentuckyOne, Brinkley was president and CEO of Catholic healthcare system Cardondelet Health Network in Tucson, Ariz. This is the third time she has been on the list of the Top 25 Minority Executives.

Sponsored Content from the Furst Group

"We know that a hospital only impacts 20 or 25 percent of health status. The rest are social determinants."

Read the complete Furst Group interview with Ruth Brinkley.