Published: November 06, 2008 10:05 am      

SMGS names new regional president

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — St. Mary’s Good Samaritan has chosen a new president/chief executive officer and SSM Health Care system vice president who will begin working at the two campuses on Dec. 30.

Philip P. Gustafson will be replacing interim regional president Jerry Lefert, who in turn replaced Jim Sanger in November 2007.

“Phil’s experience and energy make him a good fit for St. Mary’s Good Samaritan,” hospital president Mike Warren said. “Our Mt. Vernon campus has many good things ahead of us in 2009 and beyond, and we’re glad that Phil is going to be a key part of that journey.”

Gustafson will be leaving his position as the CEO of West Valley Hospital in Goodyear, Ariz., a 164-bed, acute care hospital which is affiliated with Abrazo Health Care. He will bring more than 30 years of experience to the position with St. Mary’s Good Samaritan.

“We are very fortunate to have a seasoned executive with such depth and broad experience,” stated Bill Schoenhard, SSM Health Care executive vice president/chief operating officer. “Phil has been very successful recruiting nurses, developing relationships with physicians and improving patient satisfaction, and he will be a wonderful leader of our ministry in Southern Illinois.”

According to Brandi Watson of St. Mary’s Good Samaritan, Gustafson is familiar with Southern Illinois, as he attended Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Washington University and MacMurray College and was in administration at Children’s Hospital in St. Louis.

Gustafson began his career as an assistant administrator at Children’s Hospital and has served as CEO at organizations such as Northwest Health System in Tucson, Ariz., which has two campuses, a surgery center and three urgent care centers; San Ramon Regional Medical Center in San Ramon, Calif; and Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., according to information from the hospital.

Watson said the search for a president has taken the entire year.

“It takes someone very special to lead a system like St.Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital, with two campuses,” Watson said. “It’s a large organization and very complex.”

The health care system uses the peer interview system in choosing its employees, and Watson said employees at the two campuses were part of the interviewing process for all candidates for the position.

“People from all over the organization had a hand in interviewing and providing feedback,” Watson explained. “It was a team effort to choose the right person.”

Gustafson will oversee both hospital campuses — in Centralia and Mt. Vernon.

“St. Mary’s Good Samaritan and SSM Health Care are dedicated to providing exceptional care to patients,” Gustafson stated. “I am looking forward to helping to serve the health care needs of the people of Southern Illinois.”