Furst Group Recruits CEO for Kearney Regional Medical Center
August 13, 2024 – Executive recruitment firm Furst Group, which serves the healthcare and insurance industries, has assisted in the recruitment of Douglas Koch as the new CEO of Kearney Regional Medical Center (KRMC) in Kearney, AK. “Doug’s Midwestern roots, education and vast operational experience are an ideal fit for the Bryan Health administrative leadership team and to lead KRMC as it enters its second decade of operation,” said John Woodrich, Bryan Health executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Doug is someone who likes to see communities thrive. He will be an outstanding leader for Kearney Regional Medical Center and will help Bryan Health bring the most benefit to central Nebraska and the Kearney community.”
“Doug values and will prioritize relationships with area physicians, committed trustees and most of all a great team. His eagerness to integrate into the Kearney community distinguished him as the right choice,” said Scott Smith, KRMC chief medical officer.
Mr. Koch began his career in healthcare after earning a degree in radiologic technology at Queen of Peace Hospital School of Radiologic Technology and an associate degree in nursing from Dakota Wesleyan University, both in Mitchell, SD. From 1993 to 2001, he held clinical and leadership positions at Avera Health and Sanford Health in South Dakota. From 2001 to 2018, Mr. Koch held executive positions at Aurora Healthcare, an integrated non-profit healthcare system in eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, with 17 hospitals, more than 150 clinics, and 70 pharmacies in 30 communities. In 2018 he returned to Rapid City, SD, and served for three years as vice president of operations for Monument Health. Since then, he has served as chief executive officer for Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center in St Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Through these various roles of clinical and operational responsibility, Mr. Koch has led over $1 billion in healthcare and construction projects. “He is ideally suited to lead KRMC as it embarks on construction of the Kearney Cancer Center and its expanded inpatient facilities,” the organization said. “Bryan Health and KRMC will benefit from his proven success at both physician-led hospitals and integrated health systems. During the extensive national search, leaders from KRMC and Bryan Health said Doug clearly emerged as the ideal candidate to lead Kearney Regional Medical Center.”
Bryan Health is a Nebraska governed, non-profit health system. Bryan Health includes Bryan Medical Center, Kearney Regional Medical Center, Grand Island Regional Medical Center, Crete Area Medical Center, Merrick Medical Center, Bryan Physician Network, Bryan Heart, Bryan Foundation, Bryan Health Connect and Bryan Enterprises.
Kearney Regional Medical Center is a full-service, 93-bed acute care hospital. Since opening in 2014, KRMC has grown to include a medical clinic, 24-hour emergency room and Level III Trauma Center, Maternity Care Center and Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Related: Furst Group Recruits CEO for Center for Hospice Care
Furst Group, headquartered in Rockford, IL, partners with many of the premier healthcare organizations in the world, from providers and payers to life-science companies and private equity/venture capital firms. While Furst Group’s roots are in managed care, the firm continues to be one of the nation’s leading executive search partners to health systems, hospitals, academic medical centers, post-acute, and hospice and palliative care facilities. Its work with insurers stretches back to the HMO era, yet the firm also teams with life science, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies.
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Furst Group also has offices in Phoenix, AZ; Radnor, PA; San Francisco; Brentwood, TN; Chicago; Irving, TX; Minneapolis, MN; Seattle; St. Louis; and Washington, D.C.
Recent Work
Furst Group recently helped to recruit Terry Forde as president and CEO of Health First in Brevard County, FL. “In Terry we found an experienced and sympathetic leader who shares our passion for patient safety, is committed to providing high reliability, has a proven history of success, and tenacity in building strong, lasting culture,” said Kent Smith, Health First board of trustees’ chair. “The Space Coast welcomes Terry and looks forward to his guidance to further Health First’s legacy of providing exceptional quality and compassionate care.”
Mr. Forde previously served as president and CEO of Adventist HealthCare. Under his leadership over the past 13 years, Adventist HealthCare has earned national recognition for its leadership practices, been awarded numerous quality and safety distinctions, been honored as a trustworthy organization, and been recognized repeatedly for being a top workplace.
Related: Furst Group Recruits President for Sisters of Charity Hospital
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
