Michael Ugwueke, MPH, DHA, FACHE, is president and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, a faith-based nonprofit system based in Memphis with multiple hospitals and more than 100 care locations.
He became CEO in 2017 after serving the organization in roles of increasing responsibility, including leadership of its South and North hospitals and as president and COO. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions with Provena Health, MedStar’s Washington Hospital Center, and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.
He earned a doctor of health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina, a master of public health from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Shaw University. He is a nationally recognized leader on health equity and has led the system’s “MLH Reimagined” strategic plan.
In 2026 he was elected chair-elect of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the profession’s leading association. His recognitions include the Baldrige Foundation’s Harry S. Hertz Leadership Award and repeated inclusion on lists of the most influential minority leaders in health care, and he serves on boards including the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the National Civil Rights Museum. He is regarded as a respected voice for equitable, community-centered care.