James K. Elrod Biography and Photos

Description

James K. Elrod grew up in Port Neches, Texas. At Baylor University, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a commission in the United States Air Force through ROTC. Upon fulfilling his military commitment, Elrod attended Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, where he earned a master’s degree in hospital administration. Following an administrative residency at Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, and three quarters of law school at Mississippi College, he moved to Shreveport, Louisiana. Elrod was named administrator of Willis-Knighton Memorial Hospital at age 27. In 2007, he was awarded an honorary degree of science and humane letters from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Elrod was a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

When he joined Willis Knighton in 1965, Elrod began a distinguished career that transformed a struggling, 80-bed hospital into a major health system. As CEO, he guided the expansion of the original hospital and developed four satellite hospitals, an innovation center with a virtual hospital that provides state-of-the-art clinical training, a regional physician network with more than 500 providers, a hospital-owned HMO, and the state’s largest retirement community at The Oaks of Louisiana. One of his last major projects was to establish a graduate medical education program with a vision for the future.

Elrod was active in his community, serving on boards to support local economic, educational, cultural and humanitarian activities. Numerous organizations honored Elrod’s community commitment over the decades, leading the regional newspaper to name Elrod as one of the 20^th century’s most influential people in north Louisiana. In 1998, he was the founding president of Shreveport’s Inner-City Entrepreneurial (ICE) Institute that promotes entrepreneurial leadership education for inner-city, low-income, at-risk children and teens. Harvard University lauded the institute’s summer program, James K. Elrod Biz Camp, as a “mini-MBA course for youth.” The Human Rights Commission recognized Elrod’s activities that advance human equality.

Past board leadership includes the American Hospital Association, past chairman of AHA’s Regional Policy Board 7, Voluntary Hospitals of America (VHA), Louisiana Hospital Association and its affiliated insurance trusts. He was an advisor to Baylor University’s health administration program and the James K. Elrod School of Health Administration at LSU Shreveport. In 2012, Elrod received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Washington University School of Medicine’s health administration program.

James K. Elrod at 56 years was the longest-tenured hospital administrator in the United States, a rated pilot of multi-engine instrument flight privileges, and a graduate of the FBI Citizens’ Academy. He authored the nonfiction book From Breadcrumbs to Cheesecake, which chronicles the growth and development of Willis Knighton Health and traces the history of healthcare in the region. Elrod published 26 academic articles on healthcare leadership. 

Location in Museum

Blessed Beyond Measure Exhibit and Talbot Museum Digital Archive