GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A key leader of Bellin and Gundersen Health System plans to retire.
Executive vice president and Bellin region president Chris Woleske is stepping down July 1, the health system announced Thursday. She plans to stay on in a consultative role through the end of 2025.
Bellin and Gundersen CEO Dr. Scott Rathgaber will take over for Woleske on an interim basis.
“Leading Bellin Health, and the Bellin Region of Bellin and Gundersen Health System, has been the best job I could imagine,” Woleske said in a statement.
“I have been blessed to work with our more than 5,000 medical providers and staff who dedicate themselves every day to excellence in patient care. Bellin’s commitment to the communities we serve has allowed me the opportunity to partner with so many incredible nonprofit organizations. Never was that commitment to community more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic. This commitment binds our current and future leaders to our vision for a future of healthy people and thriving communities. During the next eight months, I will remain dedicated to that vision and will work closely with Dr. Rathgaber and the Bellin Region leadership team to affect a smooth transition.”
Woleske began working for Bellin Health in 1998 and has held positions including general counsel, executive vice president leading hospital services, and chief operating officer. She was named president and CEO of Bellin Health in 2018, and took on her current duties when Bellin and Gundersen Health System merged in 2022.
During Woleske’s tenure, Bellin opened its Oconto Hospital and Marinette Clinic and Surgery Center. She was also executive leader for the Bellin Cancer Center and the Surgery & Specialty Center in Green Bay. In 2022, Bellin ranked second among 482 organizations nationwide in quality and experience in 2022 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Bellin Hospital recently earned an A grade in hospital safety from Leapfrog Group for the 12th year in a row.
“Chris Woleske’s lasting impact on Bellin Health is immeasurable, and I am incredibly grateful for the expertise, dedication and caring she has devoted to Bellin for the last 26 years,” Rathgaber said in a news release. “Thanks to her leadership, Bellin and Gundersen Health System becoming Emplify Health is well positioned for a robust future continuing to serve our patients and communities.”
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