Saint Elizabeth to Seek New CEO as Bob Lanik

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA – Bob Lanik, current CEO of Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center and Senior Vice President, Divisional Operations for Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), announced that he will be transitioning into his role as CEO of CHI Nebraska on a full-time basis. This transition will call for the naming of a new CEO for Saint Elizabeth.

Mr. Lanik announced that the search for the new CEO will begin in late April and should take approximately six months. The search will begin by identifying interested candidates within CHI. Lanik will continue his role as CEO of Saint Elizabeth until the new CEO is named. The new Saint Elizabeth CEO will have a dual reporting relationship to the Saint Elizabeth Board and to Mr. Lanik.

Lanik stated, “As we all know, healthcare reform will require many changes in the future. In my role as CEO of CHI Nebraska, I will work with our Nebraska leadership team to develop statewide strategies that position us to meet patient needs in the new environment. The changes we are putting in place will allow me to concentrate more fully on my state and national responsibilities.”

The new Nebraska leadership team has been developed to organize and direct the activities of CHI in Nebraska. Team members include: Jeanette Wojtalewicz, CHI Nebraska CFO-Divisional Operations; Charlotte Liggett, CHI Nebraska Vice President of Strategy; and, Greg Gillespie, Vice President of Human Resources Nebraska.

CHI Nebraska is comprised of six Nebraska healthcare entities: Good Samaritan Hospital, Kearney; Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, Lincoln; Saint Francis Medical Center, Grand Island; St. Mary’s Community Hospital, Nebraska City; The Physician Network; and, HealthConnect at Home. Collectively, these entities employ over 6,000 people across Nebraska. The CEOs of these entities are also members of the Nebraska leadership team.

With the creation of a state-wide CHI presence, Lanik and the CHI Nebraska leadership team will be moving to a new location within Lincoln (the location has not been finalized at this time). “I am excited to be able to focus on my new role and be able to remain in the Lincoln community,” Lanik said. “And while I will still have some involvement with Saint Elizabeth, we need to establish a full-time leader at the hospital to ensure the continued success of Saint Elizabeth.”
 

“With healthcare reform on the horizon and the need to develop more standardization and integration among our providers, CHI looks to Bob and his strong leadership skills to lead us as one into the future,” stated Michael Rowan, COO of CHI National. “By combining our state and national resources, Bob’s leadership will enable us to enhance our voice and position while continuing to focus on providing quality healthcare for all.”

Lanik began his career at Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in 1974 as the Director of Cost Accounting. He was promoted to CEO of Saint Elizabeth in 1984. Lanik was instrumental in the construction of the East Tower in 2003, which was the most significant expansion of facilities and services in the history of Saint Elizabeth and allowed Saint Elizabeth to become the first hospital in Lincoln with all-private rooms. Under his leadership, The Physician Network, a cardiovascular surgical program, and home health and hospice programs were created. Perhaps his most important contribution has been the creation of an open and engaged culture that has allowed Saint Elizabeth
to grow and be recognized for excellence on many fronts.

About Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center

Founded more than 120 years ago, Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center is a full-service, 260-bed nonprofit regional medical center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Saint Elizabeth has been selected as a Top 100 Hospital® in the nation by Thomson Reuters five times and has been recognized as a Magnet hospital for excellence in nursing since 2004. Saint Elizabeth is part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a national nonprofit health organization with headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Saint Elizabeth is guided by its core values of reverence, integrity, compassion, and excellence to devote funding and resources to programs and services that benefit their patients as well as the health of the greater community.

Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health organization with headquarters in Denver. The faith-based system operates in 19 states and includes 73 hospitals; 40 long-term care, assisted- and residential-living facilities; 2 community health-services organizations; and home health agencies. In fiscal year 2010, CHI provided almost $590 million in charity care and community benefit, including services for the poor, free clinics, education, and research. With annual revenues of approximately $9 billion, CHI is the nation's third-largest Catholic healthcare system.

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Media Note:  Mr. Lanik is available for interviews Tuesday, April 12 between 3:00 and 5:00 pm. Please contact Jan Yaussi at 402.219.7445 to set up an interview.