Mr. Thompson has led Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare, a rural health system in west-central Missouri comprising a 56-bed hospital, several clinics, outpatient services and a cancer center, after beginning his career there more than 20 years ago as a physical therapist. Under his leadership, the organization opened the Dr. James and JoAnn Bourland Radiation Oncology Center, a new therapy facility in Warsaw, Mo., and invested in the da Vinci 5 robotic surgical system and a state-of-the-art CT scanner, expanding clinically advanced care close to home. Mr. Thompson received the Missouri Hospital Association’s “Visionary Leadership Award” in November 2024, and the system has earned recognition including a Leapfrog “A” hospital safety grade, U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” designation for 2025-2026, and the Missouri Hospital Association’s “Compass Honor” in 2026. He launched the “At Last Pediatric Asthma Care at Home” telehealth program to overcome rural access barriers for children, and developed a simulation-based nurse education program funded through a federal Health Resources and Services Administration grant. Mr. Thompson currently serves on the American Hospital Association regional policy board and is a past chair of the Missouri Hospital Association board of trustees.
