When people think about leadership in correctional healthcare, they often picture contracts, compliance standards, and operational logistics. For Todd Murphy, Founder and CEO of CorrHealth, leadership begins somewhere much deeper. It begins with purpose.
Since first conceiving CorrHealth in 2006, Todd’s vision has remained consistent. He did not set out to build the largest correctional healthcare company in the country. He set out to build the right one. His goal was to create an organization that would serve as an agent of positive change for some of the most underserved populations in our nation, while operating with integrity, accountability, and humanity.
“My vision hasn’t changed much from what I initially conceived,” Todd explains. “We set out to genuinely make a difference in lives, and I am immensely proud of the fact that we are doing exactly that.”
Nearly two decades later, that clarity of mission continues to shape how CorrHealth grows, how it partners, and how it leads within the correctional healthcare industry.
Founder and CEO Todd Murphy reflects on the moment CorrHealth was born and the values that continue to shape its direction.
The Leader Todd Set Out to Be
When Todd founded CorrHealth, he was not only building a company. He was deciding what kind of leader he wanted to be.
One of the earliest decisions he made was to keep the organization privately held. For Todd, that choice was never about market positioning. It was about alignment. He wanted the freedom to lead without outside pressure from investors who might prioritize short-term financial returns over long-term impact.
Todd believes leadership should be accessible. He does not see value in the distance between executives and the people doing the work. By avoiding unnecessary layers of bureaucracy, he has created an environment where conversations can happen directly and decisions can be made thoughtfully and quickly.
To Todd, structure reflects values. Transparency, in his view, is not a strategy. It is a responsibility.
“We provide true and unfiltered transparency into our financials, our operations, our business practices, and in every aspect of our partnership,” he says. “We provide unprecedented levels of transparency because it is ethical, it is responsible, and it supports our unwavering commitment to always Do Right.”
For Todd, transparency is deeply personal. It stems from his belief that trust must be earned and protected. “Trust is the foundation of integrity and the cornerstone of any meaningful relationship,” he explains. “Without trust, whatever exists is fragile, inauthentic, and ultimately unsustainable.”
His leadership philosophy is grounded in the idea that credibility matters more than scale, and that integrity must remain intact even as an organization grows.
Growing With Purpose, Not Pressure
Another reflection of Todd’s leadership style is his approach to growth.
From the beginning, he resisted the temptation to expand rapidly across the entire country. Instead, he chose to concentrate efforts within a defined region. That decision reflects his belief that leadership should be present, not distant.
Todd prefers depth over scale. He wants to understand the communities CorrHealth serves, maintain meaningful relationships with county partners, and ensure leadership remains connected to daily operations. For him, growth should never come at the expense of attentiveness.
Equally important is his commitment to protecting the people who make the work possible. Todd is vocal about prioritizing team members and their families. He does not believe leadership should require constant travel or extended time away from home. Sustainable organizations require sustainable lives.
That mindset also shapes how he approaches benefits and support. CorrHealth provides a 75 percent employer premium contribution toward team members’ elected health plans, whether individual or family coverage. Todd often describes the organization as being “obsessed with recruiting well, hiring well, training well, supporting well, and wrapping our arms around our team members and their families.”
For him, these decisions are not differentiators meant to impress. They are expressions of responsibility. Leadership, in Todd’s view, is about building something that supports people both professionally and personally. Growth is meaningful only if it strengthens the lives of those involved.
The Meaning Behind “Do Right”
At the center of Todd’s leadership philosophy is CorrHealth’s guiding principle: “Do Right.”
On the surface, the phrase appears simple. In practice, it calls for consistency, courage, and intentional action.
Todd believes that personal accountability and human-centered service have increasingly been replaced by automation, price increases, bureaucracy, and distance from decision-makers. “Do Right” is a deliberate response to that trend, reinforcing a return to integrity, accessibility, and responsible leadership.
To Todd, it means taking care of people. It means doing what is ethical, fair, and responsible, even when it is inconvenient or costly. It means ensuring that individuals can work with a human being, not just a system.
As CEO, he strives to live that standard daily by remaining accessible, listening first, and empowering leaders to make decisions rooted in integrity and compassion. “Do Right” shapes how CorrHealth treats team members, patients, and county partners. It is not a marketing phrase. It is a leadership expectation.
Culture as the Core of Leadership
Todd often describes culture as the shared understanding that determines how people behave when no one is watching. In correctional healthcare, where decisions can directly impact safety, dignity, and health outcomes, culture matters just as much as policy.
As CorrHealth grows, Todd intentionally protects that culture by staying closely connected to teams and county partners, maintaining a personalized and hands-on leadership approach, and refusing to allow growth to introduce unnecessary bureaucracy.
He hires for character as much as capability. Skills and experience are important, but integrity, empathy, and dedication are non-negotiable. What he values most in CorrHealth team members and leaders is their heart.
“I value their compassion, their dedication, and their genuine care for the people we serve,” he says. “Beyond skills or experience, it is their integrity and unrelenting commitment to doing what is right that make our team truly exceptional.”
Growth at CorrHealth is both professional and personal. The organization invests in mentorship, ongoing training, annual leadership retreats, and sponsorships to attend career-related conferences. Site-based leaders have opportunities to attend the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. The goal is not just advancement. It is empowerment.
A Career Path He Did Not Plan
Many may be surprised to learn that Todd did not originally plan a career in correctional healthcare. After earning a double major in Psychology and Sociology, he intended to pursue a master’s degree and a PhD in Psychology, specializing in treating children and families.
As part of that journey, he worked as a caseworker with Dallas Child Protective Services. It was, by his account, the most emotionally challenging work he has ever done. Yet it was also formative. It deepened his understanding of systems, human behavior, and the profound impact of compassionate intervention.
Before enrolling in graduate school, the corrections field found him. That unexpected turn allowed Todd to combine his fascination with human behavior and his desire to help others in a tangible and impactful way. Looking back, he is profoundly grateful for the unplanned path that ultimately led him to found CorrHealth.
Looking Ahead With Purpose
When asked what excites him most about the future of CorrHealth, Todd speaks about thoughtful and values-driven growth. CorrHealth does not operate through quotas. Expansion happens only with agencies committed to balanced, respectful, and collaborative partnerships.
The organization’s primary goals moving forward include strengthening relationships with existing county partners and growing within its territory in a way that is sustainable and aligned with its core values. For Todd, growth without alignment is not success.
What motivates him on the toughest days is simple. He remembers why CorrHealth exists.
“Supporting and improving lives, supporting our team members and their families, and delivering a high standard of care to those who depend on us provides purpose beyond any challenge,” he says. “It reminds me who we are doing this for and why it matters.”
The Person Behind the CEO
Outside of work, Todd recharges through music and the ocean. He loves live music and music festivals and finds peace floating in the ocean or watching waves roll in. Those moments provide perspective and allow him to return to his work focused and present.
He lives by a quote from Marcus Tullius Cicero: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of them all.”
If he could give advice to his younger self, it would be simple: trust your instincts, take the leap, and do not be afraid to fall. Growth requires courage.
As CEO, Todd Murphy continues to lead CorrHealth with that same courage, grounded in gratitude, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to Do Right.
