Leadership

Chief Executive Officer

John McDonald, FACHE, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Centerpoint Medical Center in January 2024 and has been providing executive leadership to more than 2,000 staff members at the 285-bed hospital, which includes a Level II Trauma Center. Prior to leading Centerpoint Medical Center, John served as Chief Executive Officer of Lee’s Summit Medical Center since 2018. In 2020, John was recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal as a “Next Gen Leader” for his innovative leadership. John also previously served as Chief Operating Officer at HCA’s Corpus Christi Medical Center, a 631-bed, five-campus hospital system in Corpus Christi, Texas. Prior to joining HCA healthcare, John held executive leadership roles for the Northwest Texas Healthcare System. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University and an MBA and MHA from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in Houston, Texas.

Chief Medical Officer

Darryl K. Nelson, MD, is a board-certified family medicine physician who has taken care of Lee's Summit families for more than 20 years. A small-town physician with an old-fashioned bedside manner and a drive to advance the quality of medical care. Dr. Nelson was named Centerpoint's Chief Medical Officer in 2018. Previously he served as the Chief Medical Officer for HCA Midwest Health. Dr. Nelson has been instrumental in leading HCA Midwest Health System's ambulatory electronic medical record (EMR) development and launch in Kansas City and has served as the national senior medical director for the ambulatory EMR initiative for HCA.

Dr. Nelson received his medical degree from the University Of Missouri - Kansas City School Of Medicine and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Missouri Academy of Family Physicians and the Kansas City Academy of Family Physicians.

Chief Operating Officer

Dan Astleford is the Chief Operating Officer for Centerpoint Medical Center. In this role, he provides executive oversight of hospital ancillary and support functions, service line development, ethics and compliance, and campus construction. Some of Dan's accomplishments include expanding cardiovascular, neurosurgical, oncology service lines, increasing employee and physician engagement, and enhancing patient care and satisfaction. Dan became COO of Centerpoint Medical Center in 2019. Dan holds a B.B.A in Health Services Administration from the University of South Dakota and both a Master of Business Administration and Masters of Health Administration from the University of Iowa.

Chief Financial Officer

Zach Riggins was named Chief Financial Officer of Centerpoint Medical Center in November of 2023. At Centerpoint Medical Center, Zach provides leadership over all financial management aspects including accounting, materials management, staffing, case management and information technology initiatives relating to patient access and medical records. Prior to Centerpoint Medical Center, Zach served as CFO for HCA Florida Citrus Hospital, a 204-bed hospital in Inverness, Florida. Zach has also provided leadership for multiple HCA Healthcare facilities in Virginia, Indiana and Tennessee as associate CFO, controller, assistant controller and staff accountant. A University of Tennessee alum, Zach earned two bachelor’s degrees – one in accounting and one in finance – and an MBA from the university. Zach is also a certified public accountant.

Chief Nursing Officer

Suzanne Ford, Chief Nursing Officer, RN, MSN joined Centerpoint Medical Center in 2022. As Centerpoint's Chief Nursing Officer, Suzanne provides executive nursing leadership to over 600 nurses. From 2018 to 2022, Suzanne served as HCA Midwest Health Division Vice President of Nursing Operations where she created and implemented a 1st Year Nursing Graduate program, introduced LPN and Patient Safety Attendant (PSA) alternative care models, and successfully led nursing operations during the pandemic, among other accomplishments. Suzanne holds a B.A. in Biology from the University of San Diego, a B.S.N from Galen College of Nursing, and a Masters in Health Administration from Webster University.

• Brad Speaks — President/CEO Speaks Family Legacy Chapels
• Bret Kolman — CEO, Centerpoint Medical Center
• Dr. Alan Schneider — Physician, Midwest Heart and Vascular Specialists
• Randy Castle — President, Central Bank of the Midwest
• Zach Walker — City Manager of Independence, MO
• Dr. Christie Brock — Physician, Advanced Surgical Associates
• Tracey Mershon — Co-Owner, Mershon & McDonald
• Carson Ross — Mayor, Blue Springs
• Cindy McClain — President, McClain Restaurant Group/CRM Stores
• Latrece Holloway — Nurse Practitioner
• Dr. Jeffrey Krempec — Physician, Orthopedic Health of KC; President of Medical Staff