Paul E. Cleckner has been named Chief Operating Officer of Saint Thomas Health, in the Ascension Tennessee Ministry Market, effective August 8.
"Paul brings a breadth of healthcare leadership to this role," said Karen Springer, Saint Thomas Health President and CEO. "Paul will work with our Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Greg James, in a dyad relationship that was created to align our clinical services and medical staff relations with the strategy and operation of our system. This alignment of operations and clinical services is key in the establishment of our clinically integrated system of care."
Prior to joining Saint Thomas Health, Paul was Vice President of Operations, Eastern Group for LifePoint Health, a Nashville-based health system that operates 70 hospitals across 22 states. In this role, he oversaw operations for seven hospitals in South Carolina, Central North Carolina and Georgia.
Paul has significant experience in the financial services industry, serving in executive roles for Standard & Poor's, Deloitte & Touche, and Investment Scorecard, where he served as President and Chief Operating Officer. He began his healthcare career in 2006 when he was named Senior Vice President for Operational and Professional Services for Emdeon, a healthcare revenue cycle solutions provider. This was followed by executive positions at NorthHighland Consulting and Medical Reimbursements of America before he joined LifePoint.
Cleckner holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trevecca Nazarene University and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law.
