On Monday, June 19 th , Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Kansas Justice was announced as part of the 52-member Leadership Kentucky Class of 2023. The elite program, which runs from June through December, brings together a diverse group of leaders from across the Commonwealth, unified in their commitment to learn from each other and apply that knowledge to better their organizations and communities.

Kansas ‘Kandi’ Justice has been with PMC since August 2016 and has served as COO since February 2018. Her healthcare career began during college when she worked as a phlebotomist, which sparked her interest in laboratory science. This interest evolved into a career inside the lab, where she worked her way into various management positions. After obtaining her MBA in 2013, her career transitioned to hospital administration, where her true passion for helping improve the health of her community was able to shine. In addition to her MBA, Kandi holds a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) certification from the Healthcare Quality Certification Commission (HQCC).

“I was extremely excited to see Kandi’s name on this year’s Leadership Kentucky class roster. No one at PMC is more deserving,” explained PMC Chairman, President and CEO Donovan Blackburn. “Leadership Kentucky is all about bringing the right people together to discuss and examine challenges and opportunities in Kentucky, then bring that knowledge back home. I look forward to seeing everything she brings to that elite table.”

One of Justice’s top career accomplishments was overseeing millions of dollars in capital investment projects for PMC, such as the Appalachian Valley Autism (AVA) Center and the Mettu Children’s Hospital, both of which have dramatically changed the lives of families in Eastern Kentucky. Her work has also helped PMC expand key service lines such as oncology, heart and vascular and several outreach clinics providing primary and specialty care across multiple counties.