{{short description|American pathologist and CEO}} {{Infobox person | name = Melinda L. Estes | image = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = Dr. Estes; Mindy | known_for = Physician executive | occupation = President and CEO, Saint Luke's Health System; Board-certified Neurologist; board-certified neuropathologist }}
'''Melinda L. Estes''' is president and CEO of Saint Luke's Health System, based in the bi-state Kansas City-metro area. Estes is a board-certified neurologist and neuropathologist. Prior to joining Saint Luke's Health System in September 2011,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20110624/NEWS/306249961|title=St. Luke's hires Estes for CEO post|work=Modern Healthcare|access-date=2018-07-26|language=en-us}}</ref> she served as president and CEO of Fletcher Allen Health Care, based in Burlington, Vermont since October 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uvmhealth.org/news/fletcher-allen-ceo-melinda-estes-m-d-will-leave-to-lead-major-midwest-hospital-system|title=Fletcher Allen CEO Melinda Estes, M.D., Will Leave To Lead Major Midwest Hospital System – Burlington, VT, () – University of Vermont Health Network|website=University of Vermont Health Network|language=en-us|access-date=2018-07-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vermontbiz.com/news/august/fletcher-allen-health-care-names-new-president|title=Fletcher Allen Health Care Names New President|website=Vermont Business Magazine|language=en|access-date=2018-07-26|date=2003-08-13}}</ref>
==Education==
Estes graduated from high school in Victoria, Texas.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, and earned her medical degree from University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas,<ref name="b370">{{cite web | title=AHA Board Names Melinda L. Estes, M.D., Chair-Elect Designate | website=Saint Luke's Health System | date=2018-07-26 | url=https://www.saintlukeskc.org/about/news/aha-board-names-melinda-l-estes-md-chair-elect-designate | access-date=2024-07-24}}</ref> where she also completed a neurology residency.<ref name="l716">{{cite web | title=60 Physician Leaders of Hospitals and Health Systems | website=Institute for Orthopedic Surgery Hospital | date=2010-04-28 | url=https://www.ioshospital.com/orthopaedics/60PhysicianLeaders.aspx | access-date=2024-07-24}}</ref> Estes was a neuropathology fellow at Cleveland Clinic Foundation and completed special training in pediatric neuropathology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She received a Master of Business Administration from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management in 1995.<ref name="b370"/>
==Career==
Estes served as Associate Chief of Staff of Cleveland Clinic Foundation from 1990 to 1997.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/19911101/FORTY/161039967/dr-melinda-estes-38 | title=DR. MELINDA ESTES, 38 | date=November 1, 1991 | last=De Lafuente | first=Della | website=Crain's Cleveland Business}}</ref> In 1990, she became the first woman to be elected to The Cleveland Clinic's board of governors.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N0x6mCMKIxoC&q=melinda+estes+%22Board+of+governors%22&pg=PA116 | title=To Act as a Unit: The Story of the Cleveland Clinic | publisher=Cleveland Clinic Press | date=June 2006 | last=Clough | first=John D. | language=en | isbn=9781596240056}}</ref> Estes also served as head of neuropathology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Her research resulted in more than 100 scientific papers published. (Source)
In 1997 Estes left Cleveland Clinic Foundation to serve as executive vice president and chief of staff at MetroHealth System (MHS) in Cleveland from 1997 to 2000.<ref name="Terms of Service Violation">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=9746597&privcapId=915692|title=Terms of Service Violation|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=2018-07-26}}</ref>
In October 2000, Estes returned to the Cleveland Clinic Foundation as executive director of business development. She also served as chief medical officer of Cleveland Clinic Florida from 2000 to 2001. From 2001 to September 2003, she served as chief executive officer and chairperson of governors of Cleveland Clinic Florida, where she oversaw both Cleveland Clinic Naples and Cleveland Clinic Weston.<ref name="Terms of Service Violation"/>
Estes moved to Burlington, Vermont in 2003 to assume the role of president and CEO of Fletcher Allen Health Care.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vermontguides.com/2009/04-apr/fahc.html|title=Business People-Vermont: Fletcher Allen Health Care, Melinda Estes|website=www.vermontguides.com|access-date=2018-07-26}}</ref> In September 2011, she was named president and CEO of Saint Luke's Health System.<ref>{{cite web | access-date=2018-07-26 | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2011/06/24/saint-lukes-health-system-names-estes.html | title=Saint Luke's Health System names Estes as CEO | website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref>
== Professional accomplishments == On July 25, 2018, American Hospital Association (AHA) President and CEO Rick Pollack announced Dr. Estes as the new chair-elect designate for the AHA board of trustees.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reuter |first=Elise |date=30 July 2018 |title=Saint Luke's CEO Melinda Estes will chair AHA |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2018/07/saint-lukes-ceo-melinda-estes-will-chair.html |access-date=2025-09-04 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref> A member of the board since 2015, Estes previously served on its executive committee, where she led an effort to strengthen physician engagement in the association and serves on an advisory group focused on how the association engages its members.<ref>{{cite news | access-date=2018-07-26 | url=http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/0815/mhapresidentnamedtoamericanhospitalassociationboardoftrustees.html | title=MHA President named to American Hospital Association Board of Trustees | work=thebaynet.com | date=August 12, 2015}}</ref> Estes served a three-year term from 2019 to 2021, during which she served as chair-elect, chair, and immediate past chair.
Previously, Estes served on the board of the Council of Teaching Hospitals of the Association of American Medical Colleges, the board of directors of the University Health System Consortium, the American Hospital Association's Metropolitan Health Council, the Committee on Health Professionals, and the Regional Policy Board. She was chair of the board of the Vermont Associations of Hospitals and Health Systems and is a member of the Missouri Hospital Association.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
In 2023, Estes was named in Becker's Hospital Review's "177+ women hospital presidents and CEOs to know | 2023."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Talian |first=Anna Falvey and Brendan |date=2023-05-22 |title=177+ women hospital presidents and CEOs to know {{!}} 2023 |url=https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/lists/177-women-hospital-presidents-and-ceos-to-know.html |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=www.beckershospitalreview.com |language=en-gb}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.saintlukeskc.org/melinda-l-estes-md Saint Luke's Health System: About, Melinda L. Estes, MD, President and CEO]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Estes, Melinda}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:American women chief executives Category:American pathologists Category:Sam Houston State University alumni Category:Case Western Reserve University alumni Category:American women scientists Category:American women business executives Category:American chief executives in the health care industry