Memorial Learning Center renamed to recognize his years of service
When Ed Curtis arrived at Springfield Memorial Hospital in 1975 as a new nursing graduate, he had no idea he was beginning a 50-year career that would culminate as president and CEO.
Curtis, a native of Springfield and a graduate of Lanphier High School, had been inspired to become a registered nurse after witnessing the compassionate care a family member received during a hospital stay. After graduating with a nursing degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, he took a bedside nursing position on the nephrology/urology/transplant unit at his hometown hospital, then known as Memorial Medical Center.
Fifty years later, Curtis – now president and CEO of Memorial Health, the regional organization that includes Springfield Memorial Hospital – is looking back on a career of remarkable longevity as he prepares to retire in March 2025.
During that first decade as a nurse, he recalled, "I never thought about doing anything else." But his promotion to nurse manager of the nephrology program was the first in a series of leadership positions that would ultimately finish with his appointment as president and CEO in 2008.
"CEOs with bedside nursing experience are very rare, but it's especially meaningful to have a leader who has spent his entire 50-year career with the same organization in his hometown," said Michael Aiello, president of the board of directors of Memorial Health. "His dedication and commitment to the well-being of the people of central Illinois has had a tremendous impact on so many lives."
When Curtis began his career, Memorial was a standalone hospital serving mostly Springfield residents. Today, nonprofit Memorial Health encompasses five hospitals, as well as home health, hospice, behavioral health and primary and specialty care physician services that serve the entire central Illinois region.
Curtis oversaw much of that growth during his time as CEO and during his earlier role as chief operating officer under former CEO Robert Clarke. Throughout his career, he has worked to extend the organization's mission through collaboration with other organizations in the community.
Foremost among that group is Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, which was founded just before Curtis joined Memorial. Today, SIU faculty and Memorial personnel work side-by-side not only in the organization's hospitals but also in a variety of outpatient and research settings. In 2019, Curtis was appointed by Illinois governor JB Pritzker to serve on the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees.
He has also been deeply involved in community causes, as chair of the boards of the Springfield Urban League, United Way of Central Illinois and Central Illinois Foodbank. He encourages members of the Memorial Health leadership team to seek out ways to serve causes they're passionate about and support local organizations that work to address social determinants of health.
He is currently the chair of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, where he champions the growth of the Mid-Illinois Medical District and pursues initiatives to strengthen the local economy.
Curtis will retire on March 31, as president and Dr. Mandy Eaton will take the helm. He plans to spend more time with his family, especially his five grandchildren, all of whom live in the Springfield area.
At a retirement reception on March 20, the board of directors announced that they had voted to rename the Memorial Learning Center, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, in his honor. That facility provides education and simulation experiences for Memorial employees and medical staff as well as SIU faculty, residents and students; local first responders; military personnel; and other health care professionals from the area and across the nation.
"We felt it was a fitting way to honor Ed's legacy and ensure his contributions are remembered by future generations," Aiello said.
