Katie Rhodes, Chairperson of the Parkland Health Center Board of Directors, has been honored for her service to Parkland Health Center as the 2021 recipient of the Missouri Hospital Association’s (MHA) Trustee of the Year Award. The award was announced at the MHA’s 99th Annual Convention last week.
“Hospital trustees volunteer their time and knowledge to the service of improved health and care in their community,” said Jon D. Doolittle, MHA President and CEO. “They connect a hospital to the community it serves, provide guidance and cement a hospital’s values.”
Since 2007, Katie has served on the Parkland Health Center Board of Directors. During her tenure, she has led the hospital through some of the most significant events in its history, including the merger of another local hospital, the expansion of Parkland’s Emergency Department and Cancer Center, and the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, she donated food and resources to hospital staff, encouraged others in the community to join her, and consistently expressed her deep gratitude for the staff’s care, compassion, and resiliency.
“Katie’s leadership on the Board of Directors is invaluable,” said Annette Schnabel, President of Parkland Health Center. “As a lifelong Farmington resident and businesswoman, she is intimately familiar with the needs and challenges in our community. She knows what it means to raise a family here and how comforting it is to have exceptional medical care in the area.”
In addition to holding the office of Chairperson of the Parkland Health Center Board of Directors since 2011, Katie has also dedicated her time and expertise to the Parkland Health Center Foundation Board of Directors, and the Missouri Baptist Medical Center Board of Directors, among others.
“While my family has long been involved in health care, it became a passion for me when my daughter was born and needed additional care,” said Katie. “The exceptional care provided at Parkland Health Center gives my family and our entire community peace of mind. Parkland Health Center is a key economic driver and a cornerstone of growth and vitality in the region. I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors alongside our gifted and dedicated trustees and I am incredibly humbled by this honor.”
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.