Christopher L. Rawlings

Photo by HospiceCare.

By Arianna Whitehair

Finding connection and solace within the field of health care at a young age, Christopher Rawlings, CEO of HospiceCare, strives to bring empathy and professionalism to every patient and their families.

“One reason I was drawn to health care, and specifically HospiceCare, is because my father passed away from a chronic disease when I was 10 years old,” he says.

Rawlings credits his mother with being his primary source of strength, resilience and inspiration growing up.

“My mother was a single mom raising two children, which instilled a deep-rooted expectation of hard work, never giving up and making the best out of unexpected circumstances,” Rawlings says.

Born and raised in the Mountain State, Rawlings attended George Washington High School and received his bachelor’s degrees in finance, economics and accounting as well as his master’s in accounting and MBA from the University of South Carolina.

Taking many detours on the path to his passion, Rawlings originally started his career in public accounting and transitioned to the power generation industry before eventually making his way to health care.

“I first entered health care working for what was once Arnett & Foster—now Baker Tilly—performing health care auditing and consulting,” he explains. “My career path has involved a number of different organizations and industries, but in each of these experiences I have been able to learn and expand my knowledge base.”

Today, as the CEO of HospiceCare, Rawlings is responsible for the organization’s operations and strategic vision.

“The challenges in health care in West Virginia, as well as nationally, are extensive, but the feeling of helping people in critical moments is a calling as much as it is a profession,” he says.

While there are many obstacles that plague the progress, quality and accessibility of the modern health care industry, Rawlings cites one problem that has affected him more deeply than others.

“One challenge that keeps me up at night is the ongoing funding streams available to health care entities to care for patients,” he says. “Reimbursements continue to be cut, whether it be at the federal level or private insurance, while labor and supply costs continue to increase. There seems to be a widening of mismatches between revenue and the cost of care.”

Describing the hospice delivery model in West Virginia as world-class, Rawlings says the state currently ranks in
the top five for national delivery models for quality and patient/family satisfaction scores.

“I would love to see West Virginia ranked as number one in both categories at some point,” he says.

One way Rawlings plans to help the state dominate national rankings is through educating physicians, providers, clinicians and patients on the benefits of hospice care.

“So many people think hospice is just for the last few weeks of life,” he says. “In fact, hospice enrollment can begin months prior to death and help families anticipatorily cope with the death of a loved one. I hope to increase our service rates in our communities and increase the time people can receive important hospice support prior to death.”

Constantly pushing HospiceCare in the direction of success, Rawlings says that leading his team with a creative and innovative mindset has been one of the major contributing factors to his professional achievements.

“I believe we need to constantly challenge the status quo to improve outcomes and operational performance,” he says.

Rawlings considers passing his certified public accounting exam and being the first person in his immediate family to graduate college as some of his proudest moments in life.

Motivated by an altruistic attitude, Rawlings gives back to his community by serving on the board of directors for The Counseling Connection, Kanawha Valley Senior Services and the Partners in Health Network.

Rawlings considers his family to be his greatest success and looks forward to raising his two children, with his compassionate wife, Kate, among the great beauty and company of West Virginia.

“Being born in West Virginia but living and traveling in different states makes one appreciate how wonderful the people are here,” says Rawlings. “I think the pride West Virginians have for our state and the people of our state is remarkable.”