Chris Rush
President, Marshall Medical Centers
Chris Rush was vice president of the Huntsville Hospital Health System’s Physician Network of more than 200 physicians in 30 locations when he took the role of president of Marshall Medical Centers in February 2022. Previously he served as the CEO/Administrator of Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian, Mississippi – a hospital founded by his great grandfather. The graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, holds master’s degrees in International Relations and in business administration from American University in Washington, DC.
Tyler Hughes, MD
Vice President of Medical Affairs
Dr. Tyler Hughes is an Arab native and is the Vice President of Medical Affairs for Marshall Medical Centers and also serves patients in the emergency department at Marshall Medical Center North.
Dr. Hughes completed his training in the UAB Huntsville Internal Medicine Residency program in 2016 and is board certified in Internal Medicine.
As a student at Arab High School, Dr. Hughes was part of the HOSA program for Future Health Professionals doing rotations that included the emergency department at Marshall Medical Center North. He later joined the lab at Marshall Medical Center North as a phlebotomist, where he worked for 3 years while completing his Bachelor’s degree. After medical school and residency, Hughes came full circle and returned as a hospitalist and ED doctor.
The VPMA is an integral part of the leadership and administrative committees, working with the chiefs of staff to ensure physician credentialing, quality assurance, adherence to Medical Staff Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, and compliance with all hospital policies and procedures as they pertain to patient care and physician staff relationships.
Traci Stewart
Chief Operating Officer
Mrs. Stewart holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Alabama in Huntsville where she majored in Accounting. She obtained a Master of Business Administration from University of North Alabama with a concentration in Health Care Management. She began her career at Marshall Medical Center North in 1997 as a staff accountant. She has served in the system roles of Director of Finance and Accounting, Corporate Compliance Officer, Executive Director of Physician Practices and the Marshall Cancer Care Center, and most recently as Vice President of Operations. In November 2024, she assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer.
Kathy Woodruff
Chief Nursing Officer
Kathy Woodruff holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Jacksonville State University along with a Master of Nursing Administration from University of Alabama in Huntsville. Mrs. Woodruff served in the Army Nurse Corps from 1987-1994. She has been an invaluable part of the staff at Marshall Medical Centers since 1997, and has worked as the Director of Inpatient Services, Acute Care and Special Deliveries and as the Chief Nursing Officer at Marshall Medical Center North. In 2019, Mrs. Woodruff assumed a system role as the Chief Nursing Officer.
