HSHS today announced the appointment of Chris Klay to serve as President and CEO of HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, IL. Mr. Klay currently serves as Division Director of Rehabilitation Services for the HSHS Western Wisconsin Division. He will begin his new role on September 18, 2017.
“I am honored for the opportunity to join the dedicated colleagues, medical staff members, and volunteers of St. Joseph’s Hospital, Breese in their successful work and look forward to serving the community of Breese and Clinton County,” said Mr. Klay. “Founded on our Franciscan traditions and Hospital Sisters’ core values of Care, Competence, Joy, and Respect, excellence has become a cultural expectation at St. Joseph’s Hospital and I couldn’t be more excited to support and advance this legacy.”
Since joining HSHS in 2009, Mr. Klay has been responsible for various aspects of hospital operations, including inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services, wound care, sleep lab, and respiratory therapy. He has facilitated development and expansion of programs across the Western Wisconsin Division, including the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine, a program which has consistently achieved national recognition for outstanding patient satisfaction scores and healing rates.
“Mr. Klay has shown to be a proven leader in the HSHS Western Wisconsin Division, and we look forward to him bringing his leadership skills to St. Joseph’s in Breese,” Jim Dover, HSHS Southern Illinois Division President and CEO, said. “He has an enthusiasm for patient-centered care, and demonstrates a true commitment to our HSHS Mission.”
Mr. Klay began his health care career as a physical therapist in 2000 and accepted his first leadership position with Cumberland Memorial Hospital in Cumberland, WI, in 2003. He joined HSHS in 2009, as the Director for Rehabilitation Services for HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls and was promoted to his current position in 2015.
Mr. Klay received his Master of Healthcare Administration from Ohio University and his Master of Arts in Physical Therapy from the College of St. Scholastica. He completed a fellowship with the Advisory Board Company in Healthcare Executive Leadership in 2015, and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Mr. Klay succeeds Paulette Evans, who served as President and CEO for three years, and Amy Ballance who served as interim President and CEO since June 1, 2017.