J. Thornton Kirby

Thornton Kirby is a health care attorney and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He speaks frequently on healthcare topics, and he serves on a number of state and national boards. Kirby has spent his career working with and for large organizations. As an attorney and an administrator, he has influenced the strategic direction of hospitals, universities, and associations. His background is in policy and administration, but he has worked closely with Neill Cameron over the past decade to apply professional branding and communication techniques in the arenas of organizational governance and legislative advocacy.

Kirby became president and CEO of the South Carolina Hospital Association in 2005, with the challenge of influencing state and federal health care policies by working with hospitals, physicians, business leaders, and elected officials. In 2010 South Carolina was recognized by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services as one of the fastest improving states when it comes to healthcare quality. As a result of innovative, collaborative work by emergency physicians, cardiologists, and EMS leaders, South Carolina now ranks in the top 5 among all U.S. states in delivering timely care for patients suffering severe heart attacks.