HSHS Names Central Illinois Market Chief Operating Officer

Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), a leading Catholic health ministry with operations in Illinois and Wisconsin, announced today that Paul Ferguson has been named HSHS Central Illinois Market Chief Operating Officer. Ferguson has been serving in this role in an interim capacity since April 2026.

In this role, Ferguson is responsible for operations across HSHS ministries in the Central Illinois Market. HSHS hospitals in this market include HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Springfield; HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur; HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham; HSHS St. Francis Hospital, Litchfield; and HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital, Shelbyville.

Ferguson brings more than 20 years of progressive healthcare leadership experience in large academic and community hospitals, with deep expertise in clinical operations, service line growth, physician alignment, quality improvement and patient-centered care.

Prior to joining HSHS, he served as Vice President of Operations at UT Health East Texas in Tyler, Texas, a 500-plus bed academic Level I trauma center, where he provided executive oversight for clinical, procedural and support services. At UT Health, he drove significant service line growth, including a 10% year-over-year increase in cardiology volume and sleep lab capacity, and launched robotic bronchoscopy and comprehensive extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) programs.