Southeastern hires former Lakeland Regional Health CEO Elaine Thompson

Elaine C. Thompson, the former CEO of Lakeland Regional Health, has been hired as a distinguished professor of professional practice at Southeastern University in Lakeland.

Thompson, who led LRH for 10 years, most recently served as CEO of the YMCA of West Central Florida. She will serve across the university in a variety of capacities through the creation and instruction of courses relating to bias and worldview, leadership development of staff and faculty and community education, the school said in a news release.

Thompson will design and implement a curriculum that highlights the acknowledgement of biases and centers on social harmony and prepares and equips students to fulfill the needs of underserved communities, the release said. She will also help develop seminars and presentations that will be available to local community members on health and workplace-related topics.

“What really called me to SEU was its focus on students and its efforts to create an environment where every person in the community is equally valued,” Thompson said. “I would love to be able to help the students, staff and faculty be the very best they can be, and through that, make our surrounding community even stronger.”

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Thompson worked with the YMCA of West Central Florida to stabilize its finances and accomplish a campus transformation project, the release said. She serves on its board of directors.

Thompson received a doctorate in biomedical science from Drexel University, a master of science in physical therapy from Temple University and a bachelor of science in physical therapy and a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Former Lakeland Regional CEO joins staff of Southeastern University