Southwest Medical Center Announces CEO Departure

Southwest Medical Center

LIBERAL, KS – Southwest Medical Center and its Board of Trustees announces the departure of President and CEO, William Ermann, effective January 6, 2020.

Mark Schepers, chair of the board of trustees commented, “We are all very grateful for Bill’s many contributions in creating the sustainable growth Southwest Medical Center experiences today. Bill has been a dedicated and passionate leader for providing the best healthcare possible here in Seward County and the surrounding region. From his first to his last day at SWMC, Bill was committed to helping SWMC better serve the community. The board wishes to continue this positive momentum as SWMC enters into its next stage of providing excellent healthcare for the community. We thank him for his commitment and professionalism over the past 13 years and wish him great success in his future endeavors.”

The board has begun the process of recruiting a new President and CEO for the organization and will work closely with the current senior leadership team during the interim leadership period.

SWMC’s vision is to be the regional medical center of choice for Southwest Kansas and the surrounding region. SWMC’s medical, clinical and administrative staffs, as well as community volunteers, are committed to their mission to care for current and future generations of individuals in the Southwest Kansas and Oklahoma Panhandle regions.

The healthcare environment and competitive marketplace are evolving rapidly. These developing changes create opportunities to better serve the community. To meet these opportunities, SWMC will continue attracting exceptional clinical and administrative providers and making significant investments in its service lines and infrastructure to ensure high-quality performance, accessibility, and service.

SWMC remains focused on two primary commitments to the patients and communities it serves:

• Achieving Operational Excellence—Provide exceptional health care and continuously work to improve patient and caregiver service, satisfaction, and safety.

• Enhancing Patient Access—Meet the changing needs of the community by investing in people, facilities, infrastructure, innovations and models of care that can deliver quality outcomes and experiences for patients, while increasing efficiency.

“We are commencing the search for a new CEO immediately. This search will provide us an opportunity to attract another exceptional healthcare leader,” said Mr. Schepers. “The board has full confidence in the clinical and administrative leaders to continue to build on the successes of the organization. We look forward to their leadership as we continue to enhance and expand access to SWMC’s services to meet the needs of our patients and community.”