Dr. Mike Waldrum

The Babson Center for Global Commerce welcomes Dr. Mike Waldrum, C’84, CEO of ECU Health, on Wednesday, April 1st, 2026, at 4:30 PM in the duPont Torian Room. Please join us for a discussion on “A Career of Caring: The Business of Healthcare, Lessons Learned Navigating Uncertainty”. This event is presented in collaboration with the Departments of Biology and Pre-Health. 

Waldrum has held a series of major leadership roles spanning academic medicine, clinical care, and health system administration. He was named chief executive officer (CEO) of ECU Health in 2015, where he oversees the clinical operations of a large academic health system serving 29 counties in eastern North Carolina and guides quality and access to care across hospitals and clinics. A practicing physician specializing in critical care medicine and trained in internal medicine, he brings executive leadership expertise. In 2021, he was appointed dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, further expanding his influence in medical education and development. Before his tenure at ECU Health, Waldrum served as president and CEO of The University of Arizona Health Network and held multiple leadership roles within the UAB Health System, including CEO of University of Alabama Hospital at Birmingham, Vice President of the UAB Health System, and both Chief Operating Officer and Chief Information Officer. In addition to these roles, he has held significant national leadership positions, including chair of the Council of Academic Health System Executives (CAHSE) for the AAMC and chair of the AAMC Board of Directors, reflecting his broad impact on academic health systems and medical education.

Waldrum graduated from Sewanee with a BA in English and went on to earn his MD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, followed by a fellowship there. He later received a Master of Science in Clinical Effectiveness from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, building on his training in epidemiology, and ultimately earned his MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

During his time at Sewanee, Waldrum was a part of the Phi Delta Theta chapter and enjoyed spending his time outside on the domain. He especially cherished his time with the Intramural Ultimate Frisbee team, kayaking, climbing, and spelunking. Through his liberal arts education at Sewanee, Waldrum credits his experience with the gift of effective essay writing and the ability to “communicate [effectively] with others”. Waldrum’s career reflects the essence of the Sewanee education, marked by intellectual curiosity and an eagerness to understand the world. 

Please join Dr. Mike Waldrum for a thought-provoking conversation on the business of healthcare, exploring how strong communication skills and critical thinking (shaped by a liberal arts education in English) can inform effective leadership and decision-making in complex organizations.