Dr. John Lucas Profile

John Lucas, MD, MPH, FACPE, served as Cheyenne Regional Medical Center’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) from 2006 until the Board of Trustees appointed him as Interim CEO in October of 2008 and permanent CEO in April of 2009. As CMO, Dr. Lucas was responsible for physician strategies and services, clinical service line development, oversight of clinical quality and safety and development of the hospitalist program.

Prior to arriving at Cheyenne Regional, Dr. Lucas served as President and CEO of St. Vincent Hospital, a 248- bed not-for-profit medical center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Under his leadership, St. Vincent officials:

• Developed a strategic planning process that transformed the hospital into a regional provider of medical care
• Partnered with physician groups to expand cardiovascular, neuroscience, oncology and emergency department/trauma care
• Established the region’s first hospitalist program and medical
• Developed innovative partnerships with Santa Fe County and local community health centers to expand indigent patient access
• Improved employee satisfaction, recruitment and retention and
• Established a performance improvement infrastructure that enhanced service, safety, clinical outcomes, operating margins and community image

Dr. Lucas has also served as:

• President and CEO of Saint Francis Health System, Inc., a healthcare network including more than 900 beds in northeastern Oklahoma
• President and CEO of Lovelace Health Systems, which includes a 300-physician group practice, two hospitals, 20 clinical sites and a statewide-affiliated provider network in Albuquerque, New Mexico

As a hospital CEO and senior administrator, Dr. Lucas has worked with several executive-level teams to address organizational challenges and to help hospitals enhance all areas of quality, safety and service.

Dr. Lucas received his medical degree from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He also holds a Master of Public Health degree in Health Services Administration from Harvard University.

He has published extensively, including articles in the Group Practice Journal, Managed Care Quarterly, The Journal of Outcomes Management, The Physicians’ Guide to Disease Management and Quality Improvement and Safety Care.

Dr. Lucas is deeply interested in community health improvement. He is committed to finding ways for hospitals, public agencies, physician practices and community nonprofits to work together to ensure that people from all walks of life have access to safe, quality healthcare. He encourages frontline staff to share their ideas for making organizations function more efficiently and safely.

Dr. Lucas has been recertified by the American Board of Family Medicine until 2015 through successful completion of the Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians process. His certification with the American Board of Preventive Medicine and Public Health is valid indefinitely.

Outside of work, Dr. Lucas enjoys hiking, cycling and camping—anything to do with being in the mountains!