St. Joseph’s Hospital CEO leaving to take helm at St. Elizabeth’s in Belleville

Peggy Sebastian, president and chief executive officer at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Highland (SJH) since 2009, is leaving her post here to accept the same position at SJH’s sister hospital, St. Elizabeth’s in Belleville.

“I’m humbled and excited to have been chosen as the new president and CEO of HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. There are many opportunities for growth and development both now and looking to the new St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. I am looking forward to working with the colleagues there to make those a reality,” said Sebastian, who will begin at St. Elizabeth’s on Jan. 18.

“In her new role, (Sebastian) will continue her career-long commitment to patient service and quality,” said Mary Starmann-Harrison, president and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System, which owns both SJH and St. Elizabeth’s, as well as 12 other hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin.

“As a nurse with more than 35 years of experience in health care administration, she has a proven track record of fostering physician alignments and partnerships, developing new health care facilities and boosting satisfaction levels among patients, colleagues and physician partners,” Starmann-Harrison said.

Shelley Harris, the chief nursing officer at St. Elizabeth’s, has been serving as interim CEO since former president and chief executive officer Maryann Reese left in July to become CEO at St. Francis Healthcare System in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Reese’s departure came shortly after St. Elizabeth’s won approval from the state to relocate from Belleville to a new $253 million campus medical campus along Interstate 64 and Green Mount Road in O’Fallon. The move drew criticism from many in Belleville, and the city filed a lawsuit to try and stop it. Critics said the hospital was simply trying to move to a more affluent area. Hospital officials denied that. Construction of the new facility is ongoing with completion expected at the end of 2017.

As the president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital, Sebastian oversaw the project to construct a $63 million replacement hospital and medical office building in Highland.

Bill Sullivan, chairman of the HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Board, said Sebastian has been a great asset to the hospital and the community.

“She will be greatly missed but we know that she will continue to be an asset to us as she leads our largest hospital in the HSHS Southern Illinois Division,” Sullivan said. “Over the past six years, Peggy has completed a financial turnaround of St. Joseph’s Hospital, added many new services and programs, as well as successfully led the design and building of the new St. Joseph’s Hospital. She will now take those talents to our sister hospital, St. Elizabeth’s, to implement the changes and growth that will be needed to make their new hospital a success, as well. As our tertiary hospital for transfers and referrals, the success of St. Elizabeth’s is critical to our success. Peggy is the right person for this job and we look forward to working with her in a new capacity.”

“The colleagues and community of Highland are like a family,” Sebastian said. “They have supported me and the hospital for the past six years, and that is something I hold dear to me. One of the many benefits of being a system hospital is the relationships that are formed. Moving to St. Elizabeth’s means that I will still have the opportunity to work with St. Joseph’s Hospital and the Highland community to bring quality care to those who need it most.”

There will be a search for a new CEO at St. Joseph’s, said Amy Liefer, the hospital’s director of communications.

“The interim plan for leadership has not been announced yet. We anticipate hearing something before Christmas,” Liefer said.

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 7:02 AM with the headline "St. Joseph’s Hospital CEO leaving to take helm at St. Elizabeth’s in Belleville."