Garren Colvin has been named the new President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
He has been with St. Elizabeth for 32 years and is highly regarded within the organization, Diocese of Covington and Northern Kentucky community. Most recently, he served as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer.
The announcement followed an extensive nationwide search by a committee comprised of board members, community representatives, Diocesan representative and physician leaders.
Three final candidates were given the opportunity to meet the St. Elizabeth administrative council, board members, and physician and community leaders. In addition, many St. Elizabeth associates, managers and physicians provided input into the type of leader they wanted.
“We conducted a very inclusive search to ensure St. Elizabeth and our community had the right candidate to lead our organization and enhance healthcare in our region long into the future,” said Board Chairman Jim Votruba, who led the search process. “We had some outstanding candidates, but in the end it came down to having a proven and trusted leader who can move our team forward, adapt to change, inspire through innovation, and take our organization to the next level. Garren is that trusted leader.”
Colvin joined St. Elizabeth in May 1983 as a co-op student while in school at Thomas More College. Since then, he has served St. Elizabeth as Vice President of Finance, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and Interim President and Chief Executive Officer.
He had a significant role in the merger of the former St. Luke Hospitals and St. Elizabeth in 2008. He also provided expertise during the consolidation of Patient First and Summit Medical Group into St. Elizabeth Physicians in 2010.
Under his leadership and direction, St. Elizabeth has shown consistent and stable financial performance, earning two successive bond rating upgrades for St. Elizabeth to its current AA rating, just one rating below the highest available bond rating1.
“It’s truly an honor to lead such an outstanding organization,” Colvin said. “The relationship between the patients, our associates and our physicians is behind everything we do. We believe our community deserves the best possible care available. And I intend to continue to lead the mission and vision of St. Elizabeth and ensure we are all dedicated to taking care of every patient and family that walks through our doors.”

During his tenure, St. Elizabeth has been the recipient of many national accolades and industry recognition, including re-designation of its Magnet status, the Healthgrades Top 50 Hospital award for seven years, Truven (formerly Thompson Reuters) Top 100 hospitals for seven years, and “straight A’s” by the Leapfrog Group for all three of St. Elizabeth hospital campuses in 2014.
Colvin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Business Administration from Thomas More College in 1986 and a Master of Business Administration from Northern Kentucky University in 1996.
Raised in Northern Kentucky, Colvin was a three-sport standout at Ludlow High School (football, basketball and baseball) and is a member of the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame. He received a scholarship to play baseball at Thomas More.
“This community is my home,” Colvin said. “This is more than a job; it’s personal for me. It’s a huge responsibility to care for your neighbors, friends and family members. I am humbled by this opportunity.
“St. Elizabeth will be a strong leader in Northern Kentucky, a healthcare leader in the region and a reliable and dedicated partner to community organizations. We will succeed because of the great team of dedicated people I am fortunate to work with.”
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
St. Elizabeth Healthcare operates six major facilities throughout Northern Kentucky and more than 100 primary care and specialty office locations in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. St. Elizabeth is sponsored by the Diocese of Covington and is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. St. Elizabeth is a mission- based organization committed to improving the health of the communities it serves, providing more than $121 million in uncompensated care and benefit to the community in 2013. For more information, visit www.stelizabeth.com.
