Summit Medical Group has retained CokerGroup

The CEO leads Summit Medical Group, overseeing strategy and operations for this physician-owned, multi-site healthcare organization. Working with the Board, physicians, and executives, the CEO ensures operational excellence, financial stability, and growth. This role guides the organization through industry changes while maintaining patient-focused care and physician engagement, and fosters collaboration and performance within the executive team.

Responsibilities:
• Lead Summit Medical Group’s strategic development, set objectives, track progress, and align with mission and vision.
• Act as liaison between the Board of Directors and executive leadership, ensuring clear communication and informed decisions.
• Enhance physician engagement and alignment by promoting collaboration and supporting professional growth initiatives.
• Oversee daily operations and develop strategies for immediate needs and long-term sustainability in a changing healthcare environment.
• Lead the transition to value-based care and population health, improving outcomes, managing costs, and meeting quality standards.
• Assess expansion opportunities through market analysis, risk evaluation, and strategic investment recommendations.
• Recruit, retain, and develop executive talent through rigorous hiring, mentorship, and advancement.
• Guide executive leadership to foster unity, accountability, and innovation, providing feedback and support.
• Represent Summit externally, building relationships and seeking collaboration with partners and stakeholders.
• Advise the Board with insights on operations and industry trends to shape governance and strategy.

Experience & Qualifications:
• At least 10 years’ progressive leadership in healthcare, including 5+ years in a senior executive role
• Proven experience with multi-site medical groups or healthcare delivery organizations
• Strong knowledge of outpatient and primary care models
• Multispecialty experience with emphasis on primary care (strongly preferred)
• Experience with multi-state operations (strongly preferred)
• Participation in industry associations (AMGA, MGMA) preferred
• Hospital system experience is an asset, but appreciation for physician-led outpatient settings required
• Demonstrated success in strategic growth, M&A, or system integration
• Solid financial skills and familiarity with value-based and risk-bearing care models

Education:
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Master’s in Healthcare Administration, Business, Public Health, or related field strongly preferred
• Fellowship or executive leadership program experience preferred

Leadership Competencies:
• Strategic thinker with the ability to drive execution
• Strong, clear communicator across clinical and non-clinical audiences
• Builds trust and demonstrates integrity in all interactions
• Understands how to build and empower leadership teams
• Comfortable making hard decisions with clarity and transparency
• Able to lead through change while keeping teams grounded and aligned
• Strengthens leadership alignment across teams while coaching and supporting peers toward shared goals

Management Scope:
The CEO directly oversees the Executive Team, including the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Legal Officer (CLO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), and Chief Information Officer (CIO). The CEO also manages the Executive Assistant to the CEO and provides leadership direction to the Business Development team and strategic growth functions.

Work Environment:
This is a full-time, on-site executive leadership position based at Summit’s administrative headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee. The role requires frequent in-person engagement across clinical sites, board meetings, executive sessions, and physician settings. Candidates must be available for travel within the region and are expected to maintain a strong on-site leadership presence.

Position Summary
Summit Medical Group seeks a CEO to lead growth and modernization, foster physician alignment, and support quality patient care. The CEO will work with the Board to ensure long-term stability.

Strategic Priorities 
• Lead Through Change: Guide the organization through healthcare transformation while maintaining stability and confidence
• Grow the Organization: Support service line expansion, partnerships, and thoughtful mergers/acquisitions
• Strengthen Physician Alignment: Build trust and communication across a diverse physician base
• Advance Value-Based Care: Help us succeed in population health, payor risk, and quality initiatives
• Develop Leaders: Build a strong leadership team across clinical, operational, and corporate functions
• Operate Across Markets: Navigate the complexities of a multi-specialty, multi-state organization

What We’re Looking For:
Experience
• Senior leadership in a multi-site healthcare organization
• Experience working with physicians and governing boards
• Familiarity with primary care, plus exposure to specialties like pediatrics, eye care, or beyond
• Success managing operations across more than one state
• Involvement in strategic growth, M&A, or system-level integration
• Working knowledge of value-based care and risk models
• Strong financial and operational decision-making skills

Leadership Skills
• Makes clear decisions fast
• Communicates openly
• Connects teams and clinics
• Builds strong teams, spots leaders
• Leads with consistency and accountability
• Listens, is present, follows through

What We’re Watching For
• Flashy resumes without substance
• Talkers, not doers
• Growth at all costs — without protecting our culture
• Change agents who don’t understand how to lead through change

Bottom line
We’re not looking for perfect. We’re looking for the right fit. Someone who can lead this next phase with clarity, credibility, and care.
Success Profile: what we’re using to define what great looks like in this next CEO. Internal tool to guide how we assess candidates. Job Description: the formal document we share externally with search firms or potential candidates.
The success profile helps us evaluate, the job description helps us recruit.

About CokerGroup on behalf of Summit Medical Group

Healthcare systems contend fiercely with their competitors for qualified professionals to fill their executive positions. Because senior leadership vacancies can be crippling, health systems must employ the right people to meld with the organization’s leadership team and to fit in culturally. At Coker, primarily a national healthcare advisory firm, we offer organizations search services to identify capable candidates with suitable experience and cultural compatibility.Tailored recruiting and placement of senior-level executives and middle management candidates within health systems goes hand-in-hand with professional and operational advisory services to meet the unique requirements and strategic challenges for a vacant role. Finding the right candidate who is well-suited to the organization is a top priority in our executive search services.Top-level talent searches should encompass building a pipeline of high-potential candidates that includes members of your existing staff as well as outside hires from the healthcare industry. With appropriate grooming of insiders and ongoing contact with outside talent, your organization will be ready when openings occur, whether planned, such a...s in retirement, or unexpected.Beyond the search and hiring aspects, adding a new member to the executive team requires the candidate to understand the leadership dynamics and discern the organizational philosophy of the prospective employer. The precise alignment between the two perspectives drives high-performing teams and organizations.Our executive search approach involves leadership assessment to compare the traits of the potential new hire with the executive team. This process, when coupled with feedback from personal interviews and professional experience, provides meaningful insight for all involved.

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Connections working at CokerGroup on behalf of Summit Medical Group