The Springfield Memorial Hospital board of directors has approved Jay Roszhart as the next president and CEO of the nonprofit hospital. Roszhart, who currently serves as president of the Memorial Health Ambulatory Group, will assume the role on July 1.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to lead a hospital that has such an impact in central Illinois and beyond,” Roszhart said. “SMH plays a crucial role in ensuring the health and well-being not only of people in Springfield, but across our region.”
Roszhart,
a Springfield native, first worked at SMH as a phlebotomist while attending
high school and college. He began his full-time career at Memorial Health in
2009 as an administrative fellow and has held progressively increasing
responsibilities in the areas of case management, population health, managed
care and care coordination, culminating in his leadership of Memorial’s
ambulatory services, including Memorial Behavioral Health, Memorial Care,
Memorial Specialty Care and Memorial Home Care.
He
has a master’s degree in health care administration from the Saint Louis
University School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in molecular and
cellular biology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
“Jay
has spent nearly his entire career at Memorial, and I know he has a deep pride
in the work we do and our commitment to the community,” said Memorial Health
CEO Ed Curtis.
Roszhart replaces Dr. Chuck Callahan, who has announced his intent to leave Memorial on June 30 to seek other professional opportunities.
“Jay’s
commitment to Memorial and his extensive knowledge of the Springfield community
make him an ideal candidate to lead SMH,” said Dr. David Griffen, chair of the
SMH board of directors. “We look forward to working with Jay as we continue to
fulfill our mission in the years to come.”
As
hospital CEO, Roszhart will also continue to lead Memorial Behavioral Health.
This combined role will enable increased collaboration to meet the growing
mental health needs of patients in the hospital and community behavioral health
settings.
“One
of Jay’s strengths as a leader is his ability to look ahead and ensure Memorial
is able to meet the needs of tomorrow, as well as the needs of today,” said
Kevin England, who will become president of Memorial Health on July 1. “I
believe he is the right person to lead SMH into the future.”
