HealthForce Kentucky has named Bruce R. Williams as its new Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, tasking him with leading the organization’s growing efforts to address healthcare workforce shortages across a 16-county region.
Williams, MSN, MS, RN, CHSOS, CHSE, brings more than 30 years of nursing experience and over two decades of expertise in healthcare simulation education to the role. As CEO/COO, he will oversee daily operations of HealthForce Kentucky, including its simulation center, mobile labs, and ongoing regional workforce development programs.
Williams will also develop and implement strategic plans, oversee budgets, supervise staff, and collaborate with community and educational partners to expand HealthForce Kentucky’s reach and impact. The position is currently funded through December 2026 via grant support.
“HealthForce Kentucky has grown to the level where it was time to take the next step and name a Chief Executive/Chief Operating Officer,” said Bart Darrell, Chancellor of HealthForce Kentucky. “I was pleased that our committee recommended Bruce Williams for the position. There are few, if any, healthcare education simulation experts in the country who can match Bruce’s experience, passion, and training.”
HealthForce Kentucky is a public-private partnership designed to strengthen healthcare education pipelines from high school through post-secondary programs while increasing training capacity for critical healthcare roles. The organization is currently renovating a 35,000-square-foot facility in Owensboro that will house advanced simulation labs, classrooms, and a medical lab, providing shared resources for participating educational institutions.
In addition to its permanent facility, HealthForce Kentucky operates two mobile labs — HealthForce 1 and HealthForce 2 — that deliver high-fidelity simulation technology directly to schools and communities across the region.
Dr. Scott Williams, Chair of the HealthForce Kentucky Board, said Bruce Williams’s combination of clinical expertise, technical knowledge, and leadership makes him well-suited to guide the organization through its next phase of growth.
“Bruce Williams brings a remarkable combination of clinical expertise, simulation technology knowledge, and organizational leadership that perfectly positions him to advance our mission,” he said. “His proven track record of building innovative healthcare education programs will be instrumental as we work to address critical workforce shortages across our region. The Board is excited to support his vision for expanding HealthForce Kentucky’s impact.”
Williams previously served as HealthForce Kentucky’s Director of Simulation, where he launched simulation programs across the service area and led the design of the HealthForce 2 mobile simulation unit. He is also managing the transformation of a former grocery store into the new HealthForce Kentucky Innovation Center.
His prior experience includes leadership roles at Texas A&M University, where he managed six clinical learning resource sites, and at Ascension St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, where he helped design the 45,000-square-foot William K. Nasser, MD Healthcare Education and Simulation Center & Ruth Lilly Conference Center.
