MD MMM CPE CPHIMS CCHP CCHP-Physician- FOUNDER, PRESIDENT and CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO)
With 35 years of experience as a physician, and over 25 years of experience in correctional medicine and medical management, Dr. Rusty Bates has led QCHC as its President & Chief Executive Officer since he founded the company in 2005. Because of the prevalence of substance abuse nationwide and, particularly in correctional populations, Dr. Bates is dedicated to utilizing innovative methods to treat substance abuse and addiction. In furtherance of this commitment, Dr. Bates recently became Board Certified in Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine.
QCHC has been listed in the Top 100 Privately-Held Businesses headquartered in Birmingham by the Birmingham Business Journal (BBJ) since 2015 (5th fastest growing company in 2017); as well as receiving a Top 25 Excellence in Business award from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) National Alumni Society in 2016 and 2017 (2nd fastest growing large company). Dr. Bates was recognized by the BBJ as one of Birmingham’s Top CEOs in 2010.
Dr. Bates has been Board Certified in Internal Medicine since 1987 and is licensed to practice medicine in Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, Illinois, and Tennessee. Over the course of his career, he has practiced medicine in hospitals, emergency rooms, private practice, nursing homes, prisons, and jails.
Dr. Bates is a Certified Correctional Health Professional (CCHP) by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), a Certified Physician Executive (CPE) by the American Association for Physician Leadership (formerly the American College of Physician Executives), and a Certified Professional in Health Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS) by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). He is a fellow of the American College of Correctional Physicians (ACCP) and a fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).
Dr. Bates also successfully met the requirements to obtain the Certified Correctional Healthcare Professional-Physician credential from the NCCHC. The CCHP–Physician credential is designed to recognize expertise among physicians practicing in the specialized field of correctional health care. Dr. Bates is also a frequent speaker on correctional healthcare and addiction medicine, including presentations for the National Institute for Jail Operations (NIJO).
Before founding QCHC, Dr. Bates served as Medical Director at the Hamilton Prison for the Aged & Infirm, then as Corporate Medical Director and Chief Medical Information Officer for a national correctional healthcare company. He also served for ten years on the Alabama Medical Licensure Commission, from 2000 to 2010. Dr. Bates received his MD and BA in Mathematics from UAB, completed his Residency and Internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, and also holds a Masters in Medical Management (MMM) from the Hines School of Public Policy at Carnegie-Mellon University.