In late May, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey named Helen Keller Hospital President Kyle Buchanan as the newest member of UNA’s Board of Trustees.
Buchanan is fulfilling the role previously held by Dr. Ron Patterson, the now-transferred VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Patterson’s position as VP was filled by Minette Ellis, who served as Dean of Students at the university beforehand.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Kyle to the UNA Board of Trustees,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “His leadership locally as well as throughout the state is an excellent indicator of the skills he will bring to our Board. I welcome the voice and expertise he will bring to our deliberations.”
Buchanan is a native of Tuscumbia, and has held numerous leadership positions within Sheffield’s Helen Keller Hospital. He lives in Muscle Shoals with his wife and two daughters.
Buchanan obtained a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He then went on to obtain masters degrees from both the University of Michigan and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
He was named president of both Helen Keller and Red Bay Hospitals in April 2019. In his time as president, he has worked closely with the University community. Previous positions held include Vice President of Operations at Helen Keller Hospital, CEO of Lawrence Medical Center in Moulton, Executive Director of Population Health Initiatives, and Vice President of Women and Children’s Services at Huntsville Hospital.
In July, Buchanan helped Helen Keller Hospital collaborate with the university to establish the KIND program — a program that aims to incentivize UNA nursing students to work at the hospital post-graduation. Students who are accepted into the undergraduate nursing program at UNA will have the opportunity to apply for KIND.
Buchanan’s appointment to the Board was effective immediately following the approval by the state Senate.
“I am grateful to be able to serve the University in this capacity,” Buchanan said. “UNA has such a phenomenal reputation across our state and tremendous impact on our students and communities. I sincerely hope to add to the tremendous contributions of other board members and work with other trustees and university leadership to find new ways to take UNA to even greater heights.”
