Baptist Memorial makes executive promotions at hospitals in two states
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Aug. 18, 2026 – Baptist Memorial Health Care recently made leadership changes at a number of hospitals, including the appointments of Paul Cade as vice president/metro market leader and Sam Lynd as administrator and CEO of Baptist Memorial’s flagship hospital, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis.
I am pleased to share several important leadership changes that reflect the strength of Baptist Memorial Health Care’s leadership team and continued commitment to operational excellence, clinical quality and mission-driven leadership. These individuals underscore the depth of talent across Baptist Memorial and the breadth of opportunities available within our health care system. I am honored to work alongside these leaders.
The six leaders promoted, along with the one retirement, include the following:
· Paul Cade, VP/metro market leader, Baptist Memorial Health Care
· Sam Lynd, administrator and CEO, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis
· Craig Earley, administrator and CEO, NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital
· Skipper Bondurant, administrator and CEO, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County
· Kevin Redd, chief administrative officer, Baptist Union City and Baptist Carroll County
· Alicia Poczekaj, associate administrator, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville
· Susan Breeden, former administrator and CEO, Baptist Carroll County
For the past three years, Cade served in a dual role as Baptist Memorial vice president and metro market leader and Baptist Memphis’ administrator and CEO. With this promotion, he will now focus full time on his market leader responsibilities.
Cade began his career at Baptist Memorial in 1993, serving in several leadership roles at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus, Mississippi, before becoming the administrator and CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City. Cade returned to Baptist Golden Triangle as associate administrator in 2004 and served as administrator and CEO from 2008 to 2023 before moving to the Memphis metro market.
Lynd most recently served as CEO of NEA Baptist, which included the hospital and clinics, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He joined Baptist Memorial in 2011 as a Frank Groner Administrative Fellow and earned an MBA and Master of Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
During the last 15 years, Lynd has held progressive leadership roles, including assistant administrator positions at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County in New Albany, Mississippi, and NEA Baptist; CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton in Covington, Tennessee; system service line administrator for emergency services; and chief operating officer of Baptist Memphis.
Craig Earley was named administrator and CEO of NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital. Prior to that, he served as chief operating officer of Baptist Memphis. Earley joined Baptist Memorial in 2013 as a Frank Groner Administrative Fellow, earning an MBA and Master of Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He then served in several leadership roles at NEA Baptist and Baptist Memphis.
Susan Breeden has retired from Baptist after 32 years of dedicated service. On July 31, she stepped down as administrator and CEO of Baptist Carroll County in Huntingdon, Tennessee, a role she held since 1997. During her tenure, Breeden led the successful acquisition of McKenzie Medical Center, the expansion of emergency services at Baptist Carroll County and the development of the Baptist Outpatient Surgery Center in Jackson, Tennessee.
We were fortunate to have Susan lead our hospital in Huntingdon, Tennessee, for three decades. Her dedication, consistency and commitment contributed to the excellence of the hospital and its stellar reputation with the community. I wish Susan well on her retirement and welcome Skipper Bondurant and Kevin Redd to their new leadership roles with the hospital.
Skipper Bondurant, administrator and CEO of Baptist Union City, will now also serve as administrator and CEO of Baptist Carroll County in a combined role, effective Aug. 1. He has more than two decades of Baptist leadership experience, including serving as CEO of Baptist Union City and Baptist Tipton.
Kevin Redd became chief administrative officer of Baptist Union City and Baptist Carroll County, effective June 26. He most recently served as associate administrator of Baptist Collierville. Redd began his Baptist Memorial career in 2013 with Baptist Health Services Group. He was selected for the Frank Groner Administrative Fellowship Program in 2020 and later served as administrative director of Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in Southaven, Mississippi.
Alicia Poczekaj replaced Redd as associate administrator of Baptist Collierville, effective June 26. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and earned a Master of Health Administration from the University of Memphis. Poczekaj began her career with Baptist in 2016 as a liaison and clinical quality manager at the Baptist Clinical Research Institute. Poczekaj then served in several roles, including manager for TCPI Quality Improvement, project manager for BestHealth by Baptist and system project manager for the research institute. She also became a Frank Groner Administrative Fellow in 2022, earned her Project Management Professional certification and became system director of transformation and project management in 2023.
Baptist Memorial Health Care is one of the country’s largest not-for-profit health care systems and the largest provider of Medicaid in the region. Consistently ranking among the top integrated health care networks in the country, Baptist Memorial comprises 25 affiliate hospitals in West Tennessee, North and Central Mississippi and East Arkansas; a freestanding emergency department; more than 7,000 affiliated physicians; Baptist Medical Group, a multispecialty physician group with more than 1,500 providers in 50 specialties; Baptist Cancer Center; home, hospice and psychiatric care; walk-in and urgent care clinics; a network of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system that includes Baptist Health Sciences University and a college of osteopathic medicine. Baptist employs more than 24,000 people, and in fiscal year 2024 contributed more than $388 million in community benefit and uncompensated care to the communities it serves. For more information, please visit www.baptistonline.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.
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