Edwards Honored for Visionary Leadership

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Steven D. Edwards, President and CEO of CoxHealth was honored with the Missouri Hospital Association’s 2021 Visionary Leadership Award for his work in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and his advocacy for Medicaid expansion. The award was presented during MHA’s 99th Annual Convention.

“Steve is a deeply principled person,” said Jon D. Doolittle, MHA President and CEO. “His true north will always be what is in the best interest of the communities CoxHealth serves. Throughout the pandemic, Steve made countless difficult decisions. When the Delta variant spread rapidly through southwest Missouri, he led the charge to create or recreate capacity for patients, educate the public about protections, and encourage vaccination as a tool to protect individuals and the community. Personally, I used many of Steve’s reflections and lessons-learned to help educate my community and prepare my own organization as the CEO of a Mosaic Medical Center — Albany, before joining MHA.”

“During the initiative to expand Medicaid, Steve was a tireless warrior,” Doolittle added. “He supported the petition drive and campaign, and his efforts certainly contributed to the victory in Greene County. Moreover, given health insurance coverage is a factor in overall health, Steve was a natural champion.”

Edwards has served as CEO for the past 10 of his 29 years at CoxHealth. He has served in various leadership roles in the organization, although he worked for CoxHealth during his high school and college years, as well. He returned to CoxHealth in 1992 after serving at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

Edwards serves as Vice Chairman of Drury University Board of Trustees, and he serves on the boards of the Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, Healthy Living Alliance and Burrell Behavioral Center. In 2019, he served as Board Chair of MHA.

The Missouri Hospital Association is a not-for-profit association in Jefferson City that represents 142 Missouri hospitals. In addition to representation and advocacy on behalf of its membership, the association offers continuing education programs on current health care topics and seeks to educate the public about health care issues.

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