Edgewood, Ky. (February 13, 2015) — St. Elizabeth Healthcare President/CEO John S. Dubis announced in a meeting with managers earlier this morning that he is retiring from the organization due to a health condition.
Sponsored by the Diocese of Covington, St. Elizabeth Healthcare operates six major facilities throughout Northern Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati area with more than 100 primary care and specialty office locations in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. It has almost 1,200 licensed beds, a physician organization of more than 400 providers, a medical staff of 1,200-plus physicians with admitting privileges, almost 7,300 associates, 1,200 volunteers, three freestanding imaging centers and two outpatient ambulatory surgery centers. A member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, St. Elizabeth is a mission-based organization committed to improving the health of the communities it serves, providing more than $121 million in uncompensated care and benefit to the community in 2013.
Dubis told system managers today he was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive disorder of the nervous system. Although early in its progression, Dubis said he would step down from the leadership role immediately so his health issues did not negatively impact the organization or the communities and patients it serves.
In a letter sent to St. Elizabeth’s 7,300 associates earlier today, Board Chairman James C. Votruba explained, “(John) is dedicated to the ongoing success of this organization in serving its mission to improve the health of the people we serve and does not believe he can effectively lead St. Elizabeth and look after his health.” Mr. Dubis’ last day as President and CEO is Friday, February 13, 2015.
Garren Colvin, executive vice president and chief operating officer, will assume the role of interim president and CEO of St. Elizabeth Healthcare while the Board of Trustees initiates a national search for Dubis’ replacement. Colvin has served St. Elizabeth in a variety of roles over his 31 years, including 10 years as CFO before being named EVP and COO when Dubis took the helm in 2011.
While Dubis’ departure was not anticipated, the board issued a statement of confidence in the senior leadership team to lead the organization through this transition.
“It is a sign of an organization’s strength and maturity when the departure of a key executive does not disrupt its focus and day-to-day pursuit of excel,” Votruba said. “We know that St. Elizabeth will continue to deliver the high quality care for which it is well known as we proceed through this transition process.”
The Most Reverend Roger J. Foys, D.D., Bishop of the Covington Diocese, thanked Dubis for his leadership the past seven years and his dedication to the mission of St. Elizabeth in treating the underserved communities across Northern Kentucky.
“He has without a doubt left his mark on this institution of healing and caring and he will be sorely missed,” Foys said. “It is impossible to measure the great amount of good he has done for St. Elizabeth Healthcare and our community at large.”
During his tenure, Dubis emphasized a focus on quality and patient satisfaction across the organization, resulting in the receipt of many external awards, including re-designation of its Magnet status, the Healthgrades Top 50 Hospital award for seven years, Truven (formerly Thompson Reuters) Top 100 hospitals for seven years, and “straight A’s” by the Leapfrog Group for all three of St. Elizabeth hospital campuses in 2014.
St. Elizabeth realized numerous accomplishments during Dubis’ tenure, including the successful merger of St. Luke Hospitals and St. Elizabeth Medical Center, development of the Heart & Vascular Institute and the Orthopedic Institute and the successful pursuit of an affiliation with the Mayo Clinic. Under his leadership, St. Elizabeth increased the number of patients it serves in its multi-hospital health system and through its integrated primary care and specialty physician group, St. Elizabeth Physicians, to more than two million in 2014. Mr. Dubis built upon the organization’s historical fiscal prudence over his tenure, earning two successive bond rating upgrades for St. Elizabeth to its current AA rating, just one rating below the highest available bond rating1.
“I am honored to have had this opportunity to lead such an outstanding organization,” Dubis told his management team. “I have led many hospital organizations in my 38-year career, but none has been as dedicated to its mission and focused on the quality and experience of its patients as St. Elizabeth Healthcare. This is truly a special place. I will miss it.”
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