Kurt Johnson is retiring as president of Ingalls Memorial Hospital after nearly four decades as a health care administrator and leader. Johnson dedicated more than 30 years of his career to Ingalls, joining the organization as vice president for administration in 1987.
Johnson dedicated more than 30 years of his career to Ingalls, joining the organization as vice president for administration in 1987 and later taking on the expanded roles of chief operating officer in 1994, then president and CEO in July 2000.
Johnson began his career as a hospital administrator for American Medical International, working at hospitals in Florida and California.
“When I joined the Ingalls team in 1987, I set a personal goal of helping to build upon the legacy of industrialist Frederick Ingalls, who opened our hospital in Harvey in 1923 to care for people from all walks of life,” Johnson said. “I am very proud that Ingalls is a regional leader in offering community-based services, especially to those in need.”
Johnson and his leadership team anticipated the evolution of hospitals into expanded outpatient services and continued to transform Ingalls from one hospital in Harvey into a community health system. Under his leadership, Ingalls continued to build a comprehensive ambulatory network in southern Chicago, with outpatient care centers in Tinley Park, Flossmoor, Calumet City, Crestwood and South Holland.
“This partnership underscores our shared values in quality, innovation, superior outcomes and commitment to the communities we serve,” Johnson said at the time. “It will enable Ingalls to continue to reinvest in our existing clinical facilities, expand our outpatient services and bring innovative new technologies to patients at a much faster pace.”