Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare - 2018

When Ugwueke took over as president and CEO in 2017, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare was facing challenging times. The Memphis, Tenn.-based system was $11.8 million behind on its budget margin. Ugwueke orchestrated a turnaround that reduced the cost structure by $46 million. By year-end, the health system was exceeding margin goals. At the same time, Methodist drove significant clinical improvements, including a 77% reduction in ventilator-assisted pneumonia and a 9% drop in sepsis-related mortality. Part of Ugwueke's strategy included employee engagement. He's championed the Service Excellence Award program that recognizes teams using Six Sigma to solve problems. Staff at Methodist Olive Branch Hospital were recently recognized for reducing C. difficile to zero from January to October 2017.