Trinity Health Leadership

Patrick G. Hays,
Chairperson, Board of Directors

Throughout his life, Mr. Hays has earned a reputation as one who continually contributes to the improvement of services and community health.  An original board member when Trinity Health formed in 2000, Mr. Hays was appointed board chair in January 2007.

Mr. Hays is a highly experienced and respected health care leader.  In 2003, he received the highest honor bestowed to outstanding health care leaders – The American College of Healthcare Executive’s Gold Medal Award.  He is well known for his passionate commitment to enhancing diversity in the health care management field.

Since retiring from full-time health care administration in 2000, he has been sharing his extensive knowledge with future health care executives, serving as an advisor to management and clinical professor at the University of Southern California.

He began his exemplary career in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, where he served as program administrator for the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services for Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa.  Returning to civilian life, Patrick took on a series of health care administrative positions at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit; Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Ill., and Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Los Angeles. 

In 1980, he founded Sutter Health in Sacramento, Calif., where he served as its Chief Executive Officer for 15 years.  From 1995 until his retirement in 2000, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, the national coordinating body for the nation’s then 49 independent BS/BS plans.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Tulsa, and a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Minnesota.  He is board-certified in health care management and a Fellow of the ACHE.