After seven years leading SSM Health’s operations in Wisconsin, Damond Boatwright will leave the organization to become CEO of Illinois-based Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), according to a press release. Boatwright will lead the system’s nearly 2,300 physician partners and more than 13,000 associate staff in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Boatwright joined SSM Health in 2014 as the Wisconsin Regional President of Hospital Operations. In 2017, he was promoted to Regional President overseeing all operations within the Wisconsin region, including SSM Health’s integrated care delivery network made up of seven hospitals, 85+ clinics, 10 post-acute locations and home health services.
In 2016, he was named one of the most influential Black leaders in Wisconsin by Madison365.
“While I am excited about this new chapter, this decision was not easy,” Boatwright said in a statement. “Wisconsin has become my home and SSM Health has become my family. I am incredibly proud of the work the organization has done. SSM Health has a strong leadership team in place and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for the extraordinary people I’ve been blessed to know and serve these past seven years. I will be eternally grateful for my time at SSM Health and the life-long relationships made through my work here.”
According to the press release, under Boatwright’s leadership, SSM Health integrated with the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Agnes, which added health care services from Agnesian HealthCare and Monroe Clinic into the SSM Health family. He supported and championed economic growth initiatives like SSM Health Dean Medical Group’s South Madison Campus project, a $75 million investment in the heart of Madison, as well as the development of a new, $40 million standalone primary and specialty care clinic in Beaver Dam. In 2020, Damond offered thoughtful and compassionate leadership to our system’s team as they navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is one of the great pleasures of leadership to see one’s colleagues develop and advance in their careers. That sometimes carries with it the bittersweet revelation that they will continue their growth outside our own walls,” Laura Kaiser, President and CEO of SSM Health, said in a statement. “Our organization has benefitted so greatly from Damond’s leadership over the past seven years and we are confident that Damond’s new colleagues will value his wisdom, dedication and strong character just as we have at SSM Health.”
Damond’s last day with SSM Health will be May 15. A national search for a permanent Regional President is underway.
