Leadership
Rick Kolaczek, Chief Administrative Officer
Rick Kolaczek, chief administrative officer, joined Merit Health Central from Merit Health Wesley, where he served as chief operating officer. He previously served as the assistant chief executive officer for four years at Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham, AL.
Kolaczek attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he earned both his Bachelor of Science in allied health administration and his Master of Science in health administration.
Justin Stroud - Chief Financial Officer
Justin Stroud, chief financial officer, joined the Merit Health Central team from Merit Health Rankin and Merit Health Woman's Hospital, where he served as CFO. In the past, he was CFO of Merit Health Northwest Mississippi in Clarksdale. He is a licensed certified public accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. Stroud is an active member of Rotary International, the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the First Baptist Church Jackson Worship Choir.
Cynthia Ellis, BSN, MSM, Chief Nursing Officer
Cynthia Ellis, BSN, MSM, chief nursing officer, has been part of the Merit Health team since 2013, starting as the Director of Surgery and Medical Units at Merit Health River Region. She then served as Assistant Chief Nursing Officer at Merit Health Central, and most recently as Chief Nursing Officer at Merit Health Rankin.
Cynthia has worked in healthcare management for 25 years. She holds her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Chamberlain School of Nursing and Master of Science in management from Troy State University. She also holds a bachelor's degree in allied health sciences with a concentration in administration.