LOUISVILLE, Ky. (November 9, 2026) — The Kentucky Medical Association (KMA) announces that Cory W. Meadows has officially assumed the role of Executive Vice President (EVP), succeeding longtime EVP Patrick T. Padgett, who is retiring after nearly 30 years of service to the Association.
Meadows, who previously served as KMA’s Deputy Executive Vice President and Director of Advocacy, brings more than 15 years of experience with the Association. As KMA marks 175 years of service to Kentucky physicians, he aims to build on its strong record of advocacy while strengthening its connection to physicians in hospitals, independent practices and other settings across the Commonwealth.
“Cory has spent more than a decade working alongside Kentucky physicians to advance the profession and improve patient care,” said KMA Board of Trustees Chair Stephen Toadvine, M.D. “He understands the pressures physicians face and the importance of a strong collective voice. Just as important, he recognizes that KMA must stay connected to physicians and deliver support they can see and experience. I believe he is well positioned to lead the Association into its next chapter.”
Meadows’s priorities include engaging more directly with physicians across Kentucky, expanding opportunities for physician leadership and ensuring KMA’s advocacy, education and professional support reflect the evolving needs of its members. Through regional outreach and strong relationships with physicians and health care organizations across specialties, practice settings and career stages, Meadows also intends to gather input that will help shape KMA’s programs and services, strengthen member value and encourage greater participation in the Association.
“Physicians should be able to point to meaningful ways KMA makes their professional lives better,” said Meadows. “Our responsibility is to deliver value they can see through effective advocacy, relevant education, leadership development and stronger connections with colleagues. I want us to listen closely, respond to what we hear and earn the confidence of physicians who already belong as well as those who have yet to join.”
These priorities align closely with KMA President Christine Ko, M.D.’s, presidential initiative, “Your KMA,” which emphasizes the Association’s commitment to caring for the physicians who care for Kentucky.
Centered on the message, “Physicians Caring for Kentucky. KMA Caring for YOU,” the campaign highlights five pillars of physician support: Caring for Your Health, Caring for Your Voice, Caring for Your Growth, Caring for Your Future, and Caring for Each Other. Through targeted communications and member engagement, Your KMA will showcase the resources, programs and advocacy efforts available to physicians through their membership.
“Your KMA is about recognizing that physicians need support, too,” said Dr. Ko. “Whether it is protecting their ability to practice, investing in their professional growth, supporting their well-being or connecting them with colleagues, KMA has an important role to play. Cory’s vision for the Association complements this initiative, and I look forward to working with him to ensure that physicians see KMA as a partner in every stage of their careers.”
Meadows joined KMA in 2011 and has overseen the Association’s legislative advocacy efforts and legal affairs, including work to advance prior authorization reform legislation aimed at reducing administrative burdens and improving timely access to patient care. He serves on the American Medical Association’s Litigation Center Executive Committee and Advocacy Resource Center Executive Committee and is a past Board Chair of the Partnership for Commonsense Justice, a coalition of health care and business organizations dedicated to tort reform in Kentucky.
Meadows regularly speaks on physician practice issues, health care law, policy and compliance. He is a graduate of Leadership Kentucky. Before joining KMA, he practiced law in both the public and private sectors and held leadership positions in Kentucky state government. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Kentucky and a Juris Doctor from the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville.
Meadows succeeds Padgett, who has served as KMA’s EVP since 2007 after nearly 11 years as staff counsel. During his tenure, Padgett helped modernize the Association, expand its services and strengthen its public health and outreach efforts, including the revival of the Kentucky Foundation for Medical Care and implementation of the award-winning Kentucky Physicians Leadership Institute.
“Pat’s leadership helped shape the KMA we know today, and I am grateful for the foundation he built,” said Meadows. “I look forward to working with our members, leadership and staff to ensure KMA continues to grow, adapt and serve Kentucky physicians in the years ahead.”
# # #
About the Kentucky Medical Association
The Kentucky Medical Association is a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization that supports physician members and their patients with a variety of services. The KMA, established in 1851, represents and supports nearly 7,000 physicians, physician residents, and medical students across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Learn more about the KMA and its programs at www.kyma.org.
