________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Expanding the possible
At Phelps Health, Jason Shenefield is expanding access, strengthening workforce pipelines, and navigating healthcare change
Healthcare was never part of Jason Shenefield’ s plan. Growing up in rural Iowa, he joined the US Navy right after high school, aiming for a career in law enforcement. But the Navy had other ideas and assigned him as a hospital corpsman, introducing him to healthcare in a way he never expected.“ Healthcare kind of chose me.” That experience shaped everything that came next in Jason’ s career.
More than three decades later, Jason leads Phelps Health as President and CEO, overseeing a healthcare system that serves more than 200,000 residents across six counties in south-central Missouri. His responsibilities span strategy, operations, workforce development, advocacy, and organizational growth at a time when rural healthcare providers face mounting pressure to deliver more services, recruit more clinicians, and navigate increasing complexity.
Many of the leadership lessons Jason relies on today go back to those early Navy years.“ What’ s
▲ Jason Shenefield always interested me is how to problem solve. How do we care for people who are vulnerable, especially in chaotic environments? How do we help them get better and make sure they feel cared for and treated with dignity and respect?” The answer is bigger now than when he started, but the mission stays the same.
114