Leaders and Providers - St. Louis Children’s and KVC Health Systems

Opening Late

2026

Jason Hooper, MSW

President and Chief Executive Officer, KVC Health Systems

Jason Hooper, M.S.W. is the President and Chief Executive Officer of KVC Health Systems, a Kansas City area-based organization recognized as a national leader in mental health and child welfare. KVC is a network of nonprofits working to strengthen families, prevent child abuse and neglect, and help both children and adults achieve mental wellness. KVC has one of the nation’s broadest continuums of care, with services including preventative education, in-home family therapy, foster care, adoption, outpatient behavioral health, disability services, substance use treatment, and children’s psychiatric hospitals. KVC has over 2,800 team members at 65 locations in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Kentucky, and West Virginia and provides consultation and training across the U.S. and around the world through its KVC Institute.

Jason has been with KVC for over 30 years, beginning with 8 years of direct service helping children and families, followed by 7 years of management and 15 years of senior leadership. He is one of only two CEOs the organization has had in its 55-year history.

In his prior role as President of Camber Mental Health (previously known as KVC Hospitals), Jason managed a psychiatric hospital system that each year serves thousands of children and adolescents experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health crises. In seven years, Jason more than doubled KVC Hospitals’ revenue and diversified the client base to serve private families and military family members in addition to children in the child welfare system. These positive business changes came about while achieving strong safety and wellbeing outcomes such as safely reducing lengths of stay, increasing child stability after discharge, and maintaining a low readmission rate. Jason also expanded Camber’s consultation and community education, with its core leadership team of experts and its thriving learning environment that trains hundreds of students and professionals each year.

Jason champions a culture that is neuroscience-infused, trauma-informed, data-driven, team-oriented, and unafraid to lean into the curve. He recognizes KVC has a unique opportunity to lead national trends in areas such as integrated healthcare, the unfolding lessons of brain science, the importance of evidence-based practices, and the need to innovate constantly.

Jason has repeatedly been named in the Ingram’s 250: Kansas City’s Most Influential Business Leaders, and the Kansas City Business Journal recognized him with a NextGen Leaders Award. Jason holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Kansas and bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from Baker University. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Baker University.

He can be found on LinkedIn. More information about KVC Health Systems here.

Read more about Jason in our blog post: To Evolve, We Must Involve: A Conversation with Jason Hooper of KVC Health Systems

Nikki Stafford, FACHE

President, St. Louis Children's Hospital

Nikki Stafford is president of St. Louis Children’s Hospital, part of BJC Health’s East Region, which operates as BJC HealthCare. As part of this role, Nikki is also president of the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation.

As president of St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Nikki sets the strategic vision for the nationally ranked hospital’s clinical excellence, operational performance, and culture, fostering collaboration across physicians, staff, and community partners, and working in close partnership with leadership from BJC Health and St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s academic partner, WashU Medicine.

Prior to joining St. Louis Children’s Hospital in 2026, Nikki served as president, American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH), and system vice president, Pediatric Services, UW Health, in Madison, Wisconsin. There, she was responsible for the overall administrative direction of AFCH, achieving consistent growth and clinical excellence throughout her tenure. Prior to joining UW Health Kids, Nikki held roles with increasing scope and responsibility at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital-Upstate, Greenville (S.C.) Memorial Hospital, Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital, and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System.

Nikki received her Master of Science in occupational therapy from Washington University in St. Louis and Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business. She is board certified in healthcare management as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), a Fellow of the Riley Institute through Furman University, a member of the Greenville Chamber’s Leadership-Class 46, and a member of the International Women’s Forum.