Christie Eckhardt is Vice President and General Counsel at Hendrick Health, where she leads the
in-house legal department and oversees risk management and corporate governance, providing
strategic counsel across the organization. With 24 years of legal experience—nearly all of it
within the healthcare sector—Christie brings a deep understanding of the regulatory and
operational challenges facing physicians and health systems.
Her passion for supporting clinical teams through sound legal guidance has been a defining
feature of her career. Before joining Hendrick Health in 2023, she served as Vice President and
Chief Operations Counsel at Mercy Health in St. Louis, where she advised hospital and clinical
teams across five states.
For the past 18 years, Christie has regularly presented on medical record documentation
compliance, risk, and related legal issues. She has also spoken at local, regional, and national
conferences on topics affecting healthcare entities.
Christie holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, graduating cum laude from Loyola University
New Orleans, and earned her Juris Doctorate with honors from the University of Tulsa College of
Law. Christie is licensed to practice law in Texas, Missouri, and Illinois.