Mr. Shenefield has led Phelps Health as president and CEO for five years, after joining the south-central Missouri system in 2016 as COO. He began his career as a Navy hospital corpsman, earning the “Navy Achievement Medal” for his work in a clinic serving nearly 100,000 patients annually, before later holding leadership roles at healthcare organizations near Chicago and in Cheyenne, Wyoming. At Phelps Health, Mr. Shenefield has driven a cultural transformation that includes an employee advisory council, a wellness committee, an annual innovation summit and the “CARES” recognition platform, which has generated more than 34,000 employee nominations. Clinically, he launched a 24/7 ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction program that earned primary heart attack center certification from the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association, and he opened a comprehensive weight loss and bariatric center offering surgical and nonsurgical services. Strategically, he has led Phelps Health into an ACO, launched a direct-to-employer health plan and a Medicare Advantage plan, and secured state appropriations for emergency services. Under his leadership, the organization has posted double-digit growth in key service areas alongside improved patient experience scores and stronger financial performance, and it has been named to Forbes‘ list of “America’s Best Employers by State” in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Mr. Shenefield serves on the American Hospital Association’s regional policy board and the Missouri Hospital Association’s board of trustees.
