Move Designed To Create Seamless Leadership Transition, Strengthen Teams
ThedaCare announced changes to its management team at ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano. Dorothy Erdmann, CEO at the hospital, announced her retirement, to become effective at the end of 2016. Bill Schmidt, CEO at ThedaCare Medical Center-New London, will expand his role to include new responsibilities as CEO at ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano.
“Dorothy has been an incredible leader in the Shawano community,” said Brian Burmeister, senior vice president, ThedaCare Medical Centers. “She was instrumental in helping us build the new hospital in Shawano and created an environment where her team and the community welcomed the new facility and what it represents for the future. She will be missed.”
Burmeister also said he’s excited about the future as Schmidt expands his role early next year. “Bill and Dorothy have worked as a team to evolve healthcare options in our rural areas, so he’s very familiar with the Shawano community. He will lead the strategic work at both hospitals and expects to become more involved in the Shawano community.”
Peg School, ThedaCare Medical Center-New London, and Penny Block, ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano, who are both directors of patient services and nursing, will continue to lead the clinical work at their respective hospitals.
“Dorothy and I approach leadership in similar fashion,” said Schmidt. “We believe it’s critical to establish a strong team culture, where everyone feels like they can share and learn from each other. ThedaCare is losing an outstanding leader, but I will do everything I can to make it a seamless transition. My goal is to continue the work she started there five years ago to ensure the Shawano community understands ThedaCare’s commitment to improving the quality of healthcare.”
Erdmann said ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano is the third hospital that she helped bring to life during her career. “I’m honored and proud of the hard work we did to bring the community together to enjoy this beautiful new medical center,” said Erdmann. “It’s been a privilege to be part of securing healthcare for the Shawano community for the next 100 years.
“We have an exceptional workforce that is so respectful of this wonderful community,” she continued. “Bill is a phenomenal leader. I’m confident that together, they will do wonders for the Shawano community.”
For more than 100 years, ThedaCare™ has been committed to finding a better way to deliver serious and complex healthcare to patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The organization serves over 200,000 patients annually and employs more than 7,000 healthcare professionals throughout the region. ThedaCare has seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, Waupaca, Shawano, New London and Wild Rose as well as 34 clinics in 14 counties. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving our specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a non-profit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs as well as a foundation dedicated to community service. ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center in Appleton opened in February. For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
