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February 18, 2011
by Emily Mendez-Bryant
Press Releases
The HHSC West Hawaii Regional Board of Directors has named Jay
Kreuzer as the new Regional Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the West Hawaii
region, which includes Kona Community Hospital (KCH) and Kohala Hospital.
Jay Kreuzer has
over 30 years of progressive, proven health care leadership experience.
He previously served as the Executive Vice President of Resurrection Health
Care, a not-for-profit health system located in Chicago, that includes 8 hospitals, 7 nursing
homes, 5 independent living facilities, and 3 assisted living facilities.
He concurrently was the Chief Executive Officer for West Suburban Medical
Center, a facility with $520M in gross revenues, 5 ambulatory sites, 325 member
medical staff, 250 volunteers, foundation and physician/hospital organization
(PHO). Prior to this, he was the President of St.
Francis Hospital and Health System, a 412-bed acute care hospital ranked in the
top 100 hospitals nationally. He also served as the President of
Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, a 220-bed acute care hospital in rural Southern Illinois.
“We have great confidence
in Mr. Kreuzer’s leadership,” said Ali Bairos, M.D., Chair of the HHSC West
Hawaii Regional Board of Directors. “His
experience and knowledge in the health care industry, as well as his personal
values of honesty, communication and integrity will be a great benefit to our
hospitals. His strong background and commitment to promoting health care
initiatives is obvious from his distinguished career and the positions he has
held. His skills and leadership should
prove to be a strong foundation for all of us. Of particular note, his long stays in prior
positions promise stability to our hospitals. Given the massive changes in the health care
environment and the need for partnerships and relationships within and outside
the HHSC system the challenges are daunting. Jay is the right person to be at the helm
through these unique times.”
When
asked to comment, fellow HHSC West Hawaii Regional Board Member Renee Inaba
shared, “Our Board was very committed to having a fair and open process for the
selection of the new CEO. We welcomed
and included feedback and participation from community members, as well as
staff throughout this process. Since
‘community’ is the ‘middle name’ for our hospital we take that obligation and
responsibility to our West Hawaii ohana very
seriously. While we had many talented
applicants for the post, Mr. Kreuzer’s health care background and genuine
nature provided a nice blend of experience, personal poise, and a leadership
style exemplified by high integrity and character. The Board believes that Jay is definitely the
right person to lead our two West Hawaii
hospitals into the next decade of changes and challenges in health care for our
community.”
Kreuzer earned a Bachelor of
Science degree at Valparaiso University in Indiana
and received a Master in Health Administration at Xavier
University in Ohio. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
He and his wife, Jean (a school nurse for 20 years) are looking forward to
their move to the Big
Island and becoming a
part of our community.
Founded in 1914,
KCH is a 94-bed full-service hospital with 24-hour emergency services that
supports the west region of the island
of Hawaii. It is a
member of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, a special agency of the state
of Hawaii
established in 1996. It is fully accredited by the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Kona
Community Hospital
is dedicated to maintaining and expanding quality health care for the West Hawaii community.
Kohala Hospital is a Critical Access
Hospital with acute and long-term care
services and a 24-hour emergency room that supports the North
Kohala community. It is a
member of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, a special agency of the state
of Hawaii
established in 1996. Its mission is to
provide a “healing” environment to the community of North
Kohala through the provision of quality health care services with
emphasis on quality of life to all patients and residents. |