UAB Medical West, an affiliate of UAB Health System, has welcomed a new Chief Operating Officer, Chad French. Prior to joining UAB Medical West, Chad served as the Chief Operating Officer at Wilson Medical Center in Wilson, North Carolina. He has held several key leadership positions in hospitals throughout the Southeast.

Chad has held Chief Executive Officer positions at Davis Regional Medical Center in Statesville, North Carolina and Kentucky River Medical Center in Jackson, Kentucky. Prior to that, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer at Lake Area Medical Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana and Deputy Comptroller at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Pensacola, Florida. He began his healthcare career as an Administrative Fellow at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Chad has extensive leadership experience in both publicly and privately held hospitals. He’s worked in conjunction with academic medical centers, urban tertiary hospitals, government-led public hospitals and small community hospitals. 

Chad is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Kentucky and master’s degrees in both business and healthcare administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He’s also received professional and executive education from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Wharton School of Business. 

Chad is a veteran, having served five years in the United States Navy as an officer in the medical service corps. He and his wife, Jackie, have two teenage sons, Gus and Luke.

Thrilled to be joining the Executive team at UAB Medical West, Chad looks forward to bringing his skills and expertise to our facility and to the patients and families of West Jefferson County, Alabama.