FLORENCE, South Carolina — John Byrnes, M.D., D.ABA, has been named Chief Quality Officer and Senior Vice President of Quality and Safety for McLeod Health.

A senior healthcare executive with more than 25 years of experience leading clinical and operational excellence at major health systems across the United States, Byrnes most recently served as the Chief of Medical Affairs at ChenMed in Miami, Florida.

He also previously served as Senior Vice President and the Chief Medical Officer of the Health Division for Adventist Health as well as the Regional Chief Medical Officer for the Northern California Region which included Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii.

A passionate advocate for transforming healthcare in the United States, Byrnes leverages his expertise in quality, safety, value-based care, and physician leadership to design and implement innovative programs that improve outcomes, reduce costs, and enhance patient and provider satisfaction.

He is also a nationally recognized speaker, author, consultant, and board member, with publications on clinical quality, patient safety, population health management, and physician leadership.

“Healthcare is a constantly changing environment and we must adapt to improve the quality and safety for our patients,” said Byrnes. “I look forward to working with our leaders and physicians at McLeod Health to enhance our culture of excellence and deliver world-class clinical outcomes to the patients we serve.”

Byrnes is the author of “The Safety Playbook: A Healthcare Leader’s Guide to Building a High-Reliability Organization” and “The Quality Playbook: A Guide for Healthcare Leaders.” He has also written more than 10 book chapters and over 40 articles in peer-reviewed publications.

Byrnes received his medical degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine. He completed an internship in internal medicine and residency in anesthesiology at

the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. A Diplomat of the American Board of Anesthesiology, Byrnes also served as a Clinical Associate Professor for Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine.

About McLeod Health

Founded in 1906, McLeod Health is a locally owned and managed, not for profit organization supported by the strength of more than 900 members on its medical staff and more than 2,900 licensed nurses (Registered Nurses; Advanced Practice Nurses – including Certified Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwives; as well as Licensed Practical Nurses). McLeod Health is also composed of approximately 15,000 team members and more than 90 physician practices throughout its 18-county service area. With seven hospitals, McLeod Health operates three Health and Fitness Centers, a Sports Medicine and Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, Hospice and Home Health Services. The system currently has 988 licensed beds, including Hospice and Behavioral Health. The hospitals within McLeod Health include: McLeod Regional Medical Center, McLeod Health Dillon, McLeod Health Loris, McLeod Health Seacoast, McLeod Health Cheraw, McLeod Health Clarendon and McLeod Behavioral Health. On the coast, the McLeod Health Carolina Forest complex has an Emergency Department and the first three of seven medical park office buildings as an extension of McLeod Loris Seacoast Hospital. In Spring 2024, McLeod unveiled plans to build a $56 million, four-story, 48-bed facility on the Carolina Forest campus to serve the growing population of Horry County and the Grand Strand area. The construction project is expected to take two years to complete with an anticipated opening in 2026. This will be the first new hospital built in Horry County since McLeod Health Seacoast opened in 2011. Coming in 2025, McLeod Health will also open the first comprehensive Cancer Center in Horry County and will include medical oncology, infusion (chemotherapy/immunotherapy) services and radiation oncology.

Communications & Public Information Office

(843) 777-2592 • www.mcleodhealth.org

555 E. Cheves Street • P.O. Box 100551 • Florence, SC 29502-0551