CEO , Southern West Virginia Health System
Lisa King Leach
CEO , Southern West Virginia Health System
TY MCCLUNG
Everyone hopes their childhood dreams will come true . While for many it seems like just that , a dream , it ’ s reality for Lisa King Leach . After more than two decades in health care administration , she has lived out her childhood dream of helping people in her role as chief executive officer for Southern West Virginia Health System ( SWVHS ).
“ When graduating from kindergarten , our class was asked to dress in attire that reflected what we wanted to be when we grew up ,” King Leach says . “ I dressed as a nurse and stated , ‘ When I grow up , I want to be a nurse to help people when they are sick .’”
Though she later decided nursing wasn ’ t the right fit , her early experiences , including taking nursing assistant classes in high school and working as a registration clerk at Sistersville General Hospital , solidified her passion for health care .
“ When I had an opportunity to work at Sistersville General Hospital in 1996 , it did not take me long to realize health care was still my passion ,” she says .
King Leach credits her late father for inspiring her approach to leadership and service .
“ His priority was always to do the right thing ,” she says . “ He showed us the importance of working hard and treating others with respect . I can still hear him saying , ‘ True happiness comes
from making others happy .’”
King Leach began her education in 1994 , graduating with a bachelor ’ s degree from Wheeling Jesuit University . She later earned her master ’ s in business administration from Salem International University in 2008 .
Her career has included leadership roles such as CEO of Sistersville General Hospital , executive director of the Mid- Ohio Valley Rural Health Alliance , director of business development at Camden Clark Medical Center , director of performance improvement for the West Virginia Primary Care Association and COO for Ritchie Regional Health Center . Since becoming CEO of
Photo by Whiteheart Photography .
SWVHS , she has overseen its growth and impact across Southern West Virginia .
“ I always joke about my resumé in that I have worked at numerous health care agencies in several positions but at the same time boast that it has provided me with a tremendous amount of experience with health care and people ,” King Leach says .
King Leach explains that as CEO , it is her job to guide her staff on the path of being a great organization . She says she and her team strive to provide the best patient experience they can while also recognizing the challenges facing patients in the seven Southern West Virginia counties they service .
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