About Richie

Trusted Health System CEO/ Transformational Leader/ Creator and Architect of the Healer Culture Movement/ Strategic Planner/ Builder of High-Impact Cultures/ Expert in Crisis Recover, Value-Based Care & System Integration/ Champion of Innovation & Community Health/ Author, Speaker, Culture Builder

Man in a blue blazer sitting on a beige sofa, smiling.

A fiery, glowing heartbeat line on a dark background.

Richie Splitt, MS, MBA, FACHE

Richie Splitt is a healthcare transformational leader, executive, author, and advisor who helps organizations build cultures that hold—especially when conditions are anything but ideal.

On his second Monday on the job as Chief Administrative Officer, an EF-5 tornado destroyed Moore Medical Center. Every patient and staff member survived. In the aftermath, Richie witnessed something that would define his leadership for the next decade: security officers became triage coordinators, housekeepers became emotional first responders, and administrative staff accounted for every life with emergency-level precision. People didn’t rise to their job descriptions—they revealed who they had always been: healers.

That moment clarified a truth most leaders sense but struggle to operationalize: when people are trusted, protected, and clear on purpose, excellence follows.

For more than two decades, Richie has led health systems through high-stakes transformation—from rebuilding after a natural disaster to orchestrating more than $310 million in capital modernization during the COVID-19 pandemic. As President & CEO of Norman Regional Health System, he transformed a three-hospital system into a strategically focused regional provider of advanced care while delivering measurable results across financial performance, clinical outcomes, and organizational culture—simultaneously.

Under his leadership, teams achieved dramatic reductions in hospital-acquired infections. Double-digit improvements in mortality outcomes. Employee engagement that climbed from the bottom quartile to above the national median — during a global pandemic. Strategic growth positioning the system for long-term sustainability. An accountable care organization delivering millions in Medicare shared savings with quality scores consistently clearing CMS benchmarks, launched a Medicare Advantage plan, and secured more than $1.6 million in federal funding through partnerships that preserved local autonomy.

One of Richie’s most meaningful achievements was developing a proprietary Healer Culture framework—a trust-based approach that treats every role as essential to the mission. By aligning purpose with accountability, this framework drove measurable improvements across clinical quality, financial stability, and workforce engagement, proving that culture is not soft work—it is incredibly important structural work.

Richie’s leadership extends beyond the hospital walls. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the only leader to have chaired all three chambers of commerce serving south-central Oklahoma—Norman, Moore, and South Oklahoma City—reflecting trust across municipal boundaries. As a board member of the Oklahoma Hospital Association, he worked alongside the Governor and legislative leaders on the multi-year effort to expand Medicaid in Oklahoma—a multi-year advocacy effort that ultimately secured coverage for 330,000 citizens and generated $500M in statewide hospital payments—ultimately improving access to care for the underserved. In 2020, Richie was named the most admired CEO in Oklahoma Healthcare!

His leadership style blends strategic storytelling, transparent communication, and data-informed decision-making. Known for bringing calm, steady presence to high-pressure environments, Richie empowers others to lead with confidence while maintaining clear accountability for results.

Richie writes, speaks, and advises leaders who are done with engagement surveys that change nothing, recognition programs that ring hollow, and frameworks that collapse under real-world pressure. His work focuses on helping organizations create a healing culture while driving exceptional performance.

The work isn’t just about healthcare. It applies anywhere people serve others in moments of vulnerability—education, hospitality, public service, and mission-driven organizations where the work is supposed to just mean more.

His debut book, The Healer Revolution, provides the assessment tools, implementation roadmap, and hard-won lessons from both success and failure that form the foundation of his advisory and speaking work.

Your people are healers. They’ve just forgotten.

Richie helps them remember—and gives leaders the playbook to make that memory operational reality.

Connect with Richie on LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/richiesplittfache

"I watched a security officer coordinate evacuations with the authority of a trauma surgeon.I saw environmental services workers comfort terrified patients with the tenderness of chaplains."
- Richie Splitt

Why I Wrote This Book

It started on April 19, 1995.

I was a young, college age physical therapy technician working in Oklahoma City, guiding a nervous patient named Mrs. Smith down a hallway. Her knuckles were white on her walker. Her eyes searched mine for confidence.

I told her three words I had said a hundred times before: "I've got you."

Ten minutes later, the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building—five miles away—ceased to exist. 168 lives ended in an instant. Our hospital windows shook. The emergency department flooded with the wounded.

Those three words outlasted the bomb. They became the covenant I have tried to honor ever since.

I've got you. Even when the world explodes.

23 years later, I stood in the rubble of Moore Medical Center after an EF-5 tornado. The hospital was destroyed—but every patient was alive.

And I saw that covenant multiplied. Security officers coordinating evacuations like trauma surgeons.

Housekeepers comforting terrified patients like chaplains. Cafeteria workers and registration clerks and maintenance staff—all of them living "I've got you."

That's when I understood: Everyone is already a healer.

Then came COVID-19—our two-year marathon.

If the tornado had been our thirty-nine-minute test, the pandemic would prove whether the culture could hold under sustained pressure. We scaled telehealth from five providers to over two hundred in 72 hours. We launched Oklahoma's first monoclonal antibody infusion center. We held the hands of patients dying alone because families couldn't be there.

The healer culture wasn't invincible—no culture is against years of relentless pressure and market forces that test even the strongest teams. But it created remarkable resilience when we needed it most, buying us many months of stability during the deadliest phase.

The healer identity didn't make COVID easier. It made it bearable by maintaining meaning when everything else was chaos.

The Healer identity framework held through an EF-5 tornado, a $300 million transformation, and a global pandemic.

The framework proved durable through extraordinary challenges—from natural disasters to large-scale organizational change to a global pandemic.

What I came to understand later is this: culture doesn’t sustain itself. Without intentional structures to reinforce it, even the strongest cultures can erode over time.

That realization reshaped how I think about leadership—and what it truly takes to build something that lasts.

This book is the synthesis of thirty years—the covenant made in a hallway, the revelation in the rubble, the resilience forged in a pandemic, and the hard lessons learned when I failed to build culture that could outlast its architect.

I wrote it so you won't have to learn these lessons the way I did.

Endorsements

Doug Cubberley, Board Chair, Norman Regional Health System
"Richie is a transformational leader who elevated Norman Regional to compete with larger health systems and drove growth through the Inspire Health initiative, modernizing patient care delivery. His leadership strengthened NRHS, making it more resilient and better equipped to serve the community. A visionary problem-solver, Richie excels at securing Board support and navigating the complexities of today’s healthcare landscape.”
Joan Greenleaf, Board Member, and Former NRHS Nurse Leader
"Richie is a visionary leader with an exceptional ability to connect personally with all members of the health system as well as the Community. He can move seamlessly from discussing complex financial strategies to collaborating with all levels of staff on daily issues. He created an environment of caring and mutual respect where every employee feels valued and understands their role in our healing mission and dedication to quality. I feel privileged to have been a Trustee during his leadership as he led us on our journey of growth and expansion of services.”
Keith Minnis, Chief People Officer
"Richie Splitt is truly an extraordinary visionary healthcare leader whose strategic mindset and dedication to excellence have had a transformative impact on healthcare across the state of Oklahoma and beyond. As a CEO, Richie spearheaded the monumental INSPIRE project, along with countless other initiatives, driving significant improvements in staff engagement, patient care, operational efficiency, and community health outcomes. His ability to inspire and lead teams toward ambitious and bold goals is unparalleled, leaving a lasting legacy in healthcare innovation and organizational development and growth for the patients, families, and communities we’re so richly blessed to serve. I had the honor of joining his team as the first Vice President & Chief People Officer two years ago, and it remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my career."
Rich Rasmussen, President & CEO, Oklahoma Hospital Association
“Richie is a highly engaged and collaborative leader who brings both deep expertise in hospital operations and a forward-thinking approach to healthcare improvement. His leadership on the OHA board, particularly in advocacy and Medicaid expansion and other key initiatives, showcases his ability to drive impactful change while building strong partnerships across the healthcare sector.”
Hal Adler, Executive Coach, Leadership Landing
"Richie Splitt one of the most effective CEOs I know. Not because he’s a subject matter expert (but he is), not because he’s deeply strategic with an understanding of how to execute (that he has), and not because his communication skills are among the best I’ve seen (but they are). He’s as effective as he is because of his thoughtfulness and self-awareness. There is no shortage of great ideas out there. What we need more of is leaders like Richie; Those who know how to move, when to move, and with whom to move to execute. Richie is exactly that leader.”
Larry Heikkila, Mayor, Norman, OK
Municipalities need three essential centers of influence: good health care, vibrant business environments, and reliable government services.
“What sets Richie apart is his unique ability to weave healthcare into the fabric of our community's future. Richie led the way through COVID-19 to invigorate our economy by building healthcare infrastructure and reorganizing our hospital. The Inspire Health initiative wasn't just about building new medical facilities but about reimagining how a health system can serve as an anchor institution for community development. His vision for integrating healthcare with civic growth has created a blueprint for how cities and health systems can work together to enhance the quality of life for all residents. Richie’s visionary spirit and boundless energy inspired both the business environment and local government to fully engage post-COVID.”
Dr. Nick Migliorino, Superintendent, Norman Public Schools
"Richie and I forged a transformative partnership between healthcare and education in our community. By placing healthcare professionals in every school and spearheading initiatives like 'Build-a-Brain' and student telemedicine access, Richie redefined how health systems can support educational success. His unwavering belief that community health begins with our youth has revolutionized how we serve students and families."
Scott Martin, President & CEO, Norman Chamber of Commerce
“Richie is a visionary leader and a catalyst for change. His influence reaches well beyond healthcare, reshaping the economic foundation of our community. Through his bold leadership, he spearheaded transformative projects like the new hospital, Porter Health Village, and the Young Family Athletic Center. These initiatives introduced groundbreaking public-private partnerships that expanded access to healthcare while igniting substantial economic growth. By aligning healthcare advancements with the broader needs of the community, Richie has set a remarkable standard for fostering regional prosperity and ensuring our community's success."
Patti Davis, MLS, President, OHA and LifeCare Health Services
"I have worked with Richie Splitt as president of the Oklahoma Hospital Association and now as president of Lifecare Health Services. I would describe Richie as a resilient visionary in the Oklahoma healthcare arena. Not only rebuilding a hospital destroyed by a tornado to leading Inspire Health, a total re-design of Norman Regional in my hometown (Inspire Health) within 10 years and during COVID speaks volumes of his leadership abilities. In addition, Richie was extremely engaged with state and federal leaders on key legislative issues, including Medicaid expansion. Richie is a seasoned, forward-thinking, collaborative leader who would bring immense value in today’s healthcare environment.”
Stuart Archer, CEO, Oceans Healthcare
"Richie exemplifies the kind of innovative healthcare leader who can transform a vision into reality. When we discussed expanding behavioral health access in Oklahoma, his strategic approach and unwavering commitment to community needs made Norman Regional the clear choice for partnership. Together, we didn't just build a new facility – we created a comprehensive behavioral health solution that more than doubled the region's inpatient capacity. Richie's ability to structure complex partnerships while maintaining focus on quality outcomes and community impact represents healthcare leadership at its finest.”
Dr. Tom Connally, Medical Director, Endocrine Surgery
"What sets Richie apart is his exceptional ability to transform physician vision into operational reality. When I proposed creating Oklahoma's first comprehensive thyroid care center, he immediately understood the potential and mobilized cross-specialty support to make it happen. His talent for combining physician empowerment with systemic coordination enabled us to build a premier program that has revolutionized access to specialized thyroid care in our region."
Lawrence McKinney, President & CEO, Norman Economic Development Coalition
"What distinguishes Richie is his exceptional ability to translate healthcare innovation into economic opportunity. The $300+ million Inspire Health initiative wasn't just a healthcare project – it became an economic development engine, attracting new businesses, creating jobs, and positioning Norman as a healthcare destination. His strategic vision has fundamentally reshaped our community's economic trajectory."
Rick Nagel, Managing Partner, Acorn Growth Companies & Treasurer for US Congressman Tom Cole
"Richie exemplifies the rare combination of visionary healthcare leadership and practical business acumen. His success in securing partnerships with OU Stephenson Cancer Center and navigating complex political landscapes to advance healthcare initiatives demonstrates his sophisticated understanding of both healthcare policy and business strategy. He's proven that doing good for the community and achieving strong financial results aren't mutually exclusive.”
John Manfredo, former COO, Norman Regional Health System
"Working alongside Richie, I witnessed firsthand his extraordinary ability to execute complex strategic initiatives while maintaining unwavering focus on operational excellence. During the Moore tornado recovery and Inspire Health implementation, he demonstrated a unique talent for balancing ambitious vision with practical execution. His leadership style – combining data-driven decision-making with genuine empathy – created an environment where both innovation and operational discipline could thrive."
David Nimmo, President & COO, Chickasaw Nation Industries
"Richie's approach to partnership building is truly exceptional. His collaboration with diverse stakeholders, including tribal health systems, showcases his ability to create innovative healthcare solutions that serve all communities. The partnerships he's forged have not only expanded access to care but have become models for how healthcare systems can work together to address complex community health challenges."
Darrel Pyle, City Manager, Norman, OK
"Richie's collaborative approach to healthcare leadership transformed our city-health system relationship into a true partnership for community wellbeing. From the innovative Young Family Athletic Center to the Porter Health Village development, his ability to align healthcare initiatives with municipal priorities created unprecedented public-private partnerships that will benefit Norman citizens for generations. He doesn't just run a hospital system – he helps build a healthier, more vibrant community."
Melissa Houston, Founder & Principal, 929 Strategies
"Richie's masterful ability to navigate complex healthcare policy while building bipartisan support was instrumental in achieving Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma – a feat many thought impossible in our state. His unique talent for translating healthcare challenges into compelling policy solutions, combined with securing over $120 million for the Inspire Health initiative, demonstrates why he's widely regarded as one of the most effective healthcare advocates in our state."
Dr. Amanda Sadler, Sports Medicine Physician, NMotion Sports and Human Performance Center
"Richie's innovative vision for healthcare perfectly aligned with my dream of creating an integrated sports medicine and human performance center. By embedding our services within the Young Family Athletic Center, he pioneered Oklahoma's first truly integrated facility where clinical expertise meets real-time performance training. His ability to bring together public and private partners to create this unique model has revolutionized how we deliver sports medicine care to everyone from Olympic athletes to weekend warriors."

About Richie

Richie Splitt, MS, MBA, FACHE

"I watched a security officer coordinate evacuations with the authority of a trauma surgeon.I saw environmental services workers comfort terrified patients with the tenderness of chaplains." - Richie Splitt

Why I Wrote This Book

Endorsements

"Your people are healers. They've just forgotten." - Richie Splitt

"I watched a security officer coordinate evacuations with the authority of a trauma surgeon.I saw environmental services workers comfort terrified patients with the tenderness of chaplains."
- Richie Splitt

"Your people are healers. They've just forgotten."
- Richie Splitt