Health Care

(Joplin, MO) – Chris Powell has been named Freeman Health System’s Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer. He has worked in nearly every conceivable segment of the healthcare industry over the last three decades.

What brought him to southwest Missouri was Freeman’s unique “independent fluidity.”

“I am excited to be supporting an independent health care system,” Powell said. “Freeman is in a unique position to provide incredible care to the people in their service area.”

A health system like Freeman possessing such independence, he added, is “very rare in 2025.”

Powell will oversee day‑to‑day operations to ensure Freeman runs efficiently effectively. He will manage various hospital departments and ensure quality and patient satisfaction, among many other responsibilities.

• Oversee day‑to‑day operations of the health system.
• Manage various hospital departments.
• Ensure excellence in quality and patient satisfaction.
• Identify and support opportunities for improvement across the organization.
• Provide servant‑leader support to Freeman’s teams and patients.

Powell began his career in the healthcare laundry industry, overseeing a South Carolina‑based plant with Hospital Services, Inc., before advancing to Director of Engineering, EVS, Supply, Food, Transport, and Receiving. He spent the last 15 years with Prisma Health, South Carolina’s largest private, nonprofit healthcare system, serving as COO from late 2021 before joining Freeman in 2024.

Educational credentials include a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from Saint Joseph University, and a Doctorate of Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Locally owned, not‑for‑profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2020, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from Care Chex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers.

U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System the Best Hospital in Southwest Missouri for 2020. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 80 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services and women’s services. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70‑mile radius.

Powell hopes to contribute to Freeman’s mission and culture by bringing outside system knowledge of the latest innovations and best practices adopted by healthcare systems nationwide. He also looks forward to being active in the local community, supporting initiatives that benefit Joplin and surrounding areas.