About Us

CoxHealth Leadership

Max D. Buetow, President and Chief Executive Officer

Max D. Buetow is the president and CEO of CoxHealth. Max joined the organization in 2012 as the director of Springfield Neurological and Spine Institute. His career path continued in the neurosciences when he assumed the role of administrative director for the neuroscience service line. In 2015, Max was given the opportunity to become a vice president with Cox Medical Group (CoxHealth’s physician entity), while also elevating to vice president of neurosciences. In June 2020, Max moved into the role of chief operating officer, where he had operational responsibility for the enterprise’s six hospitals.

Prior to CoxHealth, Max worked as operations and distribution manager for Sara Lee Fresh Bakery, developing an affinity for LEAN/Six Sigma process improvement. Max received his undergraduate degree from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York and his MBA at Drury University in Springfield.

Max currently serves as the chairman for Multipli Credit Union and a board member for Drury University’s Breech School of Business Advisory Board and SkyWord Sports Ministries. Max is also very involved in his local church and enjoys spending time with his wife, Laura, and their four children.

Amanda Hedgpeth, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer

Charity Elmer, Executive Vice President, General Counsel

Jake McWay, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Ron Prenger, Executive Vice President, Chief Administration Officer

Timothy Jones, DO, Executive Vice President, President Cox Medical Group

Ashley Casad, Senior Vice President, System Operations, President, Springfield Hospitals

Beth Polivka, MOL, BSN, RN, CENP, Senior Vice President, System Chief Nursing Officer

Brock Shamel, Senior Vice President Operations

Shawn Usery, MD, Senior Vice President, System Chief Medical Officer

William Mahoney, Senior Vice President Community Hospital Group, President Cox Branson

Abby Craigmyle, Vice President, Corporate Integrity

Alicia Allen, Vice President, Nursing

Amy DeMelo, President Cox College

Andrea Elliot, Vice President, Finance

Andrea McKay, President Cox Monett Hospital

Andrew Hedgpeth, Vice President, Human Resources

Bryan Williams, Vice President CoxHealth Medical Group

Cheryl Hertel, Vice President Chief Information Officer

Chris Wyatt, President Cox Barton County Hospital

Daniel Roth, Vice President Operations

David Raney, Vice President Business Development

David Taylor, Vice President Operations

Deanna Maples, Vice President, Accounting and Controller

Ellen Hammock, Vice President CoxHealth Medical Group

Heather Swearengin, Vice President Consumer Experience

Jim Farmer, Vice President CoxHealth at Home

Jann Holland, Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Communications

Jeff Hawkins, Vice President Operations

John Chastain, Vice President, Finance and Revenue Cycle

Lisa Alexander, President CoxHealth Foundation

Lori Cantrell, Vice President, Finance

Trina Hargis, Vice President, Nursing Community Hospital Group

Matthew Aug, President Cox HealthPlans

Matthew Turner, Vice President Operations

Patrick Murfee, Vice President Chief Technology Officer

Rod Schaffer, Vice President, Facilities Management

Staci Rogers, MD, Chairman, JOC, Chief Transformation Officer

Teresa Coyan, Chief of Staff, Vice President Government Relations

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