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Stephen A. Williams, president and chief executive officer for Norton Healthcare, has been with Norton since 1977 and has served as president/CEO since 1993. Before that, he served as executive vice president/chief operating officer (1988-93); vice president, quality management (1986-88); vice president, managed hospitals (1984-1986); administrator, Caldwell County Hospital (1980-84); and assistant to the executive vice president (1977-79). A native of Lola, in western Kentucky, Williams received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Murray State University and a master's in health care administration from the University of Minnesota.
Williams has the unique distinction of having served as CEO of Kentucky's smallest hospital at the time (Livingston County, 26 beds, 1972-77, at age 22) and now serving as CEO of Kentucky's largest health care system. He led Norton's pioneering development of Total Quality Management in the health care industry in the mid-1980s, which led to Norton being recognized as the first in the nation to receive Healthcare Forum's Commitment to Quality Award in l988. He has authored several articles and spoken nationally on strategies in health care quality management. He also was recognized as one of four Emerging Leaders nationally in 1990.
Williams is a member of the board of trustees of the American Hospital Association and chairs its Regional Policy Board 3 (seven southeastern states and the District of Columbia ). He has chaired the board of trustees of the Kentucky Hospital Association and has received its Award of Excellence. He has served as co-chair of Greater Louisville Inc. (the city’s chamber of commerce and economic development organization); chair of Louisville's Metro United Way (raising more than $28 million for charity); chair of KentuckianaWorks (the region's workforce investment board); and has served on the boards of Leadership Louisville, Fund for the Arts, University Medical Center, University Healthcare Corporation, and many other health care and civic organizations. | 