Kent Howard has 40 years of management experience in healthcare.

Kent has experience in managing hospital departments, hospitals ranging in size from 15 beds to 350 beds and in addition has been responsible for the operation of non-hospital businesses such as nursing homes, pharmacies, durable medical equipment, ambulance services, etc. Kent has been responsible for all day to day management of hospitals including program development to build volume and revenue and cost reduction to improve the bottom line. Positions range from Regional Manager for hospital management companies to Chief Operating Officer of a large Healthcare System to Chief Executive Officer of a 200 bed hospital. Experience includes non-profit and for profit organizations.

Prior to joining Hospital Management Consulting, Kent was employed by Health Midwest in Kansas City, MO, where he held three positions, Chief Operating Officer Health Midwest Eastern Region, President/Chief Executive Officer Medical Center of Independence (MCI) and Senior Vice President-Rural Health. Kent was involved in physician recruitment and in implementing a physician residency program at MCI. Other prior experience includes Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for the Carle Foundation in Urbana, IL, Senior Vice President of Operations for Research Medical Center in Kansas City, MO and Regional Vice President, Research Management Group (responsible for the operation of seven rural hospitals).

Kent is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Masters Degree in Hospital Administration. He also holds a B.A. degree from Dana College in Blair, NE and is certified as a Medical Technologist.

Kent has served on several hospital Boards and was President of the Board of Kansas City Hospice, and currently serves on the Board of Christus Health-Utah. Kent is a Life Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.