Furst Group Finds President for St. Mary’s Health System
October 30, 2018 – Following an extensive nationwide search, Furst Group recruited Steven C. Jorgensen as president of St. Mary’s Health System and senior vice president of Covenant Health in Lewiston, ME.
“St. Mary’s Health System has provided compassionate, high-quality care to Lewiston and the surrounding community for 130 years,” said David Lincoln, CEO of Covenant Health. “Steve’s expansive 27-year career at Mayo Clinic, his passion for people and his commitment to our Catholic mission will help ensure St. Mary’s continues to be one of the best healthcare providers in the state and one of the best places to work in Androscoggin County. His goal is to improve the lives of patients, their families and the dedicated team of employees and physicians at St. Mary’s.”
Mr. Jorgensen had a diverse career with the Mayo Clinic, where he served as head of human resources, administrator for various departments and chair of clinical operations at Mayo’s location in Jacksonville, FL. Over the course of his career, Mr. Jorgensen has “consistently demonstrated his ability to deliver on strategic goals through collaboration and teamwork,” said Covenant Health, leading to his most recent roles as chief operating officer and vice president of business development at Essentia Health. With his background in human resources, he is a fierce advocate for employees, nurses and physicians and is committed to ensuring that St. Mary’s is a great place to build a career, said Covenant.
“It’s an honor to have been chosen to serve as senior vice president of Covenant Health and president of St. Mary’s Health System,” Mr. Jorgensen said. “Working alongside the talented and dedicated team at St. Mary’s, I want to build on the strengths of this great organization by continually improving care and the way it is delivered while staying true to our Catholic legacy of providing compassionate care for anyone in need.”
St. Mary’s Health System, a member of Covenant Health, is comprised of St. Mary’s Medical Center, a 233-bed acute care community hospital, a primary care provider network, urgent care and emergency department, an extensive complement of behavioral and mental health services as well as outpatient specialty practices. It offers the combination of talented and compassionate caregivers and state of the art medical technology to meet Androscoggin County’s healthcare needs.
Healthcare Recruiters
Headquartered in Chicago, Furst Group focuses exclusively on the healthcare and life sciences sector. The firm is led by co-founders CEO Bob Clarke and president Sherrie Barch. It has completed senior-level search assignments throughout the sector, including at El Rio Community Health Center, Primary Care Progress, University Health System and Prevea Health.
Recently, Furst Group recruited Patricia Ahern as CEO of Care Dimensions. Her 30-plus years of healthcare leadership experience spans the continuum of care delivery services, including acute care hospitals and hospice and palliative care organizations. Most recently, she was CEO of the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care in Buffalo, NY.
Healthcare Recruiting
Healthcare is among the most rapidly growing employment fields, according to analysts at Hunt Scanlon Media, which tracks trends in the executive search and leadership solutions space. A number of healthcare organizations have turned to executive search firms to find new leaders in recent months. Here’s a sampling from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Rocky River, OH-headquartered executive search firm Global Healthcare Services (GHS) has recruited Robert Ward as the new CEO of Weatherford Rehabilitation Hospital. Senior recruiter Tom Cavalli led the assignment. For the last five years, Mr. Ward has been CEO of Select Rehabilitation Hospital in San Antonio, TX.
Following a national search, executive recruitment firm Wheless Partners placed Robert Pastor as the new CEO of Rainy Lake Medical Center, a level 4 trauma center and community health organization in International Falls, MN. Mr. Pastor was previously at Southwest Health in Platteville, WI, where he served as chief clinical officer.
Cejka Executive Search recruited current Swift County Benson Health Services leader Kurt Waldbillig as the new CEO for Meeker Memorial Hospital & Clinics in Litchfield, MN. “After an exhaustive search process, the board is pleased to have found the best individual to lead this strong, independent and financially successful organization into the future.”
B.E. Smith recently placed Bob Sutton as CEO of Avera Health, a faith-based health system out of Sioux Falls, SD. “We narrowed the field down to several outstanding candidates, from both inside and outside of Avera,” said Mary Kay Panowicz, Avera System members chair and chair of the CEO search committee.
Howard Fischer Associates placed Nassar Nizami as chief information officer of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health. “At a time of immense change in healthcare, we’re delighted to welcome Nassar as a leader for Jefferson’s focus on innovation, technology, and informational science,” said Stephen K. Klasko, president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson.
Dallas-based executive search firm Southerland Partners placed Gerard J. Colman as CEO of Baptist Healthcare System Inc. in Louisville, KY. Keith Southerland, the search firm’s managing partner, led the assignment. Southerland Partners specializes in recruitment for complex integrated delivery systems, academic medical centers, children’s hospitals and payer organizations.
Phillips, DiPisa & Associates, an executive search firm serving the healthcare sector, has placed Matthew Cox as the senior vice president and CFO of Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, MI. Partner Michael Corey led the assignment. Mr. Cox will lead the finance team and assume financial responsibilities for Spectrum Health and its subsidiaries.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
