Matthew Kodsi, M.D., Ph.D., ACC

Executive Coach

For more than two decades, Dr. Matt Kodsi has earned a reputation as a problem-solver, evolving from an independent practicing neurologist to an accomplished healthcare executive. This trajectory has given him a firsthand, 360-degree perspective on healthcare’s most pressing challenges—insights that greatly benefit his executive coaching clients.

Most recently, Matt served as Chief Medical Officer at the CHI Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he orchestrated numerous initiatives ranging from reimagined workflows and compensation models to bridging the often-challenging divide between clinicians and administrators. These weren’t just organizational changes—they delivered measurable improvements in the metrics that matter most: better patient outcomes, enhanced staff satisfaction, and strengthened financial health.

Before stepping into the C-suite, Matt made the leap many clinicians contemplate but few successfully navigate: transitioning from 17 years at the bedside to the boardroom as Vice President of Medical Affairs at CHI Memorial Hospital.

With a foundation built on dual M.D. and Ph.D. degrees in Neuroscience from UC San Diego and an Executive Coaching certification from the Hudson Institute of Coaching, Matt brings both scientific rigor and human understanding to his coaching practice, crafting solutions that engage both the head and the heart.

What’s your coaching philosophy in action?

Coaching is a partnership. The client has a destination in mind that looks like it’s on the other side of a wall that extends into the clouds and has no gate. The coach listens to the meaning behind their words, asks the questions they aren’t asking themselves, and empowers the client to remove the bricks at the foundation so that the whole wall comes crashing down.

What’s the leadership challenge you’re known for solving?

Given my background—a Chief Medical Officer working side-by-side with staff across numerous roles—I’m well-suited to help clients bridge the gap between hospital administrators and those who directly provide care. I’m also well equipped to coach physicians making the transition from physician to administrator, just as I have done.

Describe your ideal coaching client.

I love coaching clients at several points in their career, whether they are just starting and trying to figure out who they want to be, have landed in their ideal role and want to become the best version of themselves in that position, or realize it’s time for change and are exploring options for what’s next.

What would surprise people about your approach?

I come in with no assumptions. I don’t think this would surprise other coaches, but it may surprise clients. Each client engagement is an individual process of exploration and discovery. That means asking the challenging questions that will enable them to better understand the thought process behind their decisions, to figure out what’s holding them back, and to decide what they want to change in order to reach their personal and professional goals.

What’s a leadership breakthrough you’ve witnessed?

One client I worked with was already in a leadership role and seeking a promotion. Our work together helped them discover what was holding them back, what changes they wanted to make to demonstrate their value, and how best to make others aware of what they had to offer. Once they felt they were standing on solid ground with these issues, they were noticed by executive leadership and included in the work they desired and enjoyed. The changes also had an impact on a personal level, with increased self-confidence and satisfaction in their personal life as well.

What’s your unique background and experience?

My journey to healthcare executive coaching has given me the gift of having seen the world of healthcare from multiple perspectives. During my 17 years as a private practice neurologist, I served as the liaison between our practice and hospital administration, which gave me a greater understanding of the perspectives of both groups. As Chief of Staff for the hospital, I saw how our practice challenges were only a small part of a much larger picture. Then as Chief Medical Officer during an Epic go-live and the COVID pandemic, I explored the operational interactions within our local market and between local, regional, and national leadership. I also had the honor of working side-by-side with physicians, nurses, patient care techs, EVS, and others through our executive shadowing program.

What myth about executive coaching do you love to bust?

A common misconception—one that I had myself—is that coaching is much like mentoring. Many clients enter the relationship with the expectation that they will be taught by the coach, or that the coach will come in with a “this is how I did it” approach.

The role of a coach isn’t to teach or tell the client how to do things. The coach partners with the client, helping them explore and clarify their personal and professional goals. As part of that process the coach asks the questions that the client isn’t asking themselves, helping them better see the path ahead and how to navigate it.