James Gary Sheets

James Gary Sheets has spent nearly three decades in health care leadership, taking on roles involving hospital operations, regional oversight, service development, and virtual care. He has emphasized listening, clear communication, focused execution, and teamwork while keeping patients and caregivers at the center of his responsibilities. Most recently, he served as a regional president overseeing eight hospitals and roughly 150 clinics across Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, with about 12,000 team members and 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers. As part of the executive leadership team, James Sheets was responsible for strategy, growth, quality, safety, financial performance, and patient and caregiver experience. He set three primary areas of focus: safety and quality, engaged caregivers, and stewardship. His multi-year operational improvement plan produced financial gains in its first year while patient satisfaction remained steady. The region also improved its quality and safety scores and introduced its health plan into Colorado through a partnership with a leading local system. During eighteen years of combined service with the same health system, James held several positions with increasing responsibility. As a chief operating officer, he oversaw acute operations across 21 hospitals in Utah and Idaho, along with surgery centers, telehealth, air ambulance, and outreach services. The region reached the top tier of national quality rankings and exceeded financial targets. He also established an ambulatory surgery center division, opened a community hospital, planned the modernization of flagship facilities, and integrated an acquired air medical company into an existing flight operation. Earlier, Jim Sheets led telehealth and outreach services across eight states, consolidating virtual care into a single modern hub and increasing its volume year after year. During the pandemic, his team scaled video visits by a factor of a thousand and expanded virtual programs across behavioral health, remote monitoring, oncology, and other areas. He also served as a hospital CEO and Administrator and later as a Group President responsible for ten hospitals. James Gary Sheets earned two master's degrees and a bachelor's degree in business management, earning cum laude. He taught future health care executives for nearly a decade, served on numerous boards, raised millions of dollars for health care causes, and volunteered in community programs. He and his wife, a kindergarten teacher, raised five children, and he enjoys golfing, skiing, reading, backpacking, and college football.