John Kueven is SVP and president of Wellstar Cobb Hospital and interim president of Wellstar Paulding Hospital. John has fostered a collaborative culture focused on high reliability and led Wellstar Paulding Hospital to achieve an “A” rating from The Leapfrog Group. Under his leadership, the hospital was recognized with the Georgia Oglethorpe Award and, in 2020, became the first and only hospital in Georgia to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Prior to joining Wellstar in 2018, John was chief operating officer of Memorial Hermann Katy, where he helped to drive a culture of patient safety, escalating the hospital to top decile performance, and achieve the Texas Award for Performance Excellence, the Texas State Baldrige Award, as well as facilitating a $120 million expansion.
Before joining Memorial Hermann Katy, he worked for Boston Children’s Hospital as director of transplant and utilization management, overseeing the transplant department, case management, utilization review, and the international office. He previously served in leadership roles at North Mississippi Medical Center.
John received a master’s degree in health care administration management and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham; a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Millsaps College; and an associate degree in nursing from Itawamba Community College.
An active member of the healthcare community and his local community, he currently serves as vice president and incoming president of the Georgia Association of Healthcare Executives. John is treasurer and incoming President of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Graduate Program of Hospital Administration Board, a member of the Sterling Board of Directors, a member of the International Hospital Federation Young Executive Leaders, and the Paulding County Chamber Board of Directors. He is also a deacon in his church and an active member of the Paulding County Rotary Club.
He is currently a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.