Deborah Hayes Named President and CEO of The Christ Hospital Health Network

The Christ Hospital Health Network is pleased to announce that Deborah Hayes has been appointed President and CEO by its Board of Directors.

The Christ Hospital Health Network is pleased to announce that Deborah Hayes has been appointed President and CEO by its Board of Directors. Hayes has been serving as Interim President and CEO since November 2020.

Hayes joined The Christ Hospital Health Network in 1987 as a student nurse aide and then critical care nurse. Over the following 25 years, she progressed her career through a wide range of leadership roles including Clinical Nurse Manager, Director of Critical Care, Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Information Officer and Chief Hospital Officer. Prior to assuming the role of Interim President and CEO, Hayes was the Chief Operating Officer from 2014 to 2020, overseeing hospital operations across the network, leading major initiatives such as the $280M transformation of its campus infrastructure, and the growth of its network of ambulatory outpatient centers including the planning, building and opening of the Montgomery Outpatient Center, the Joint and Spine Center and Liberty Medical Center. Over the last year, she has been instrumental in leading the organization through the COVID- 19 pandemic, ensuring that the community continues to have access to the safe and exceptional care they have come to rely on at The Christ Hospital Health Network for over 130 years, while also mobilizing the organization around a five-year strategic plan which launched in early 2020.

“Debbie is a tireless leader and advocate for advancing the mission of The Christ Hospital Health Network to deliver exceptional clinical excellence, the finest patient experience, all at an affordable price,” said Jeb Head, Chairman of The Christ Hospital Board. “With Debbie’s leadership, The Christ Hospital was ranked the # 1 hospital in the Greater Cincinnati region by US News and World report, named to Newsweek’s World Best Hospitals 2021 list, earned the coveted Magnet Recognition in 2010, 2015 and 2020, received the Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence for exceptional Patient Experience for four years in a row and has maintained the Most Preferred Provider in the Greater Cincinnati area for the past twenty-five years.”

Hayes earned a diploma in nursing from The Christ Hospital School of Nursing and her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Xavier University. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Science from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Nursing and Business Informatics from Northern Kentucky University.

Her passion to help improve the health of the community is evident as an active community leader, serving on several boards and advisory committees, including the American Heart Association, ArtsWave, LifeCenter, Matthew 25 Ministries, United Way, and in 2018 was named YWCA Career Women of the Year. Hayes also holds adjunct faculty positions at local universities contributing to the professional development of future healthcare professionals.

“Debbie’s deep knowledge of The Christ Hospital, coupled with a long history of driving excellence and innovation, makes her the ideal leader for the future,” said Jeb. “I have personally had the pleasure of working with Debbie over the last several years and am most grateful for her unwavering commitment to the patients, their families, physicians and staff, helping to make The Christ Hospital the extraordinary place it is.”

About The Christ Hospital Health Network: The Christ Hospital Health Network is an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn with a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of offices conveniently located throughout the region. More than 1,300 talented physicians and more than 6,000 dedicated team members support the Network. Its mission is to improve the health of the community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes and the finest experiences, all in an affordable way. The Network has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region and awarded Healthgrades “America’s 50 Best Hospitals” for being in the top 1% in the nation for providing the highest clinical quality year over year. It is also a Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award recipient, which recognizes top-performing healthcare organizations that achieve the 95th percentile or above of performance in patient experience. The Christ Hospital is among a select number of hospitals in the nation to be awarded Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves.

###