About TMC > Executive Biographies > Charlie Shields

Charlie Shields

Chief Operating Officer, Truman Medical Center Lakewood

Charlie Shields is Chief Operating Officer of Truman Medical Center Lakewood. He joined TMC in July 2010, after serving 20 years in the Missouri General Assembly. He was first elected tothe Missouri House of Representatives in 1990 and served until 2002, when he was elected to the Missouri Senate. In 2009, he was unanimously elected by his senate colleagues to the highest senate leadership position, President Pro-Tem. Shields served in this position until January 2011, when term limits prevented him from running for re-election.

Prior to coming to TMC Lakewood, Charlie spent more than 17 years with Heartland Health in St. Joseph, Missouri where he served in a variety of leadership roles, including Chief Marketing /Communications Officer.

As TMC Lakewood Chief Operating Officer, Charlie’s focus is working with community organizations to bring healthcare outside the walls of the hospital and into our patients daily lives. This effort is designed to create healthy, vibrant communities in our area.

Under Charlie’s leadership, significant change has occurred in the last year. The Lakewood Family Birthplace, a nineteen bed labor/delivery/recovery/post-partum unit was completed in October 2011. This greatly expanded service offers families access to a modernized birthing unit which accommodates up to 1,800 births annually. An integrated program of services has been developed to serve the emotional health needs for older adults. A fourteen bed inpatient acute care geriatric psychiatric unit on-site at Lakewood and an Intensive Outpatient Program at Lakewood Counseling Service provide
a unique service profile. TMC has also expanded its community footprint by acquiring, Medical Imaging Eastland, a successful medical imaging center in Independence. This center will allow TMC to diversify its payor base through increased access to insured patients. Additionally, TMC Lakewood has established a clinic location in northwestern Independence, staffed by an experienced Family Medicine physician.
This effort is a direct result of working with the community to identify opportunities to establish access to care in growth oriented neighborhoods which currently have limited primary care medical services. Within the same northwest Independence neighborhoods,
TMC Lakewood has established an elementary school-based dental care access program in conjunction with the Independence School District.

Charlie is actively engaged in leadership roles with several community partnerships. These include the Missouri Higher Education Partnership, the Independence Chamber of Commerce, the Amercian Board of Medical Specialties, the Missouri Mental Health Foundation, the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council, the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), and 12 Blocks West. He was appointed to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - State Board of Education by Governor Jay Nixon in August, 2012.