SCHMIDT ASSUMES CEO RESPONSIBILITIES AT THEDACARE MEDICAL CENTER-SHAWANO
Regional Hospital CEO Leads ThedaCare in New London, Shawano
Bill Schmidt commenced his CEO responsibilities at ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano upon last month’s retirement of Dorothy Erdmann. The new position is in addition to his CEO duties at ThedaCare Medical Center-New London where he has worked as hospital president since July 2001.
A native of Indianapolis and a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in industrial management, Schmidt first plied his trade in the manufacturing sector. In 1982 he accepted a job in productivity and cost accounting at a Fort Wayne, Indiana, hospital and discovered a new passion: quality and process improvement in health care. “This new type of job was so much more rewarding. I could see how we could directly influence patient care delivery and how our own people were treated. I never looked back.” Schmidt went on to earn his MBA from Indiana University and worked for HealthSouth as regional administrator for outpatient services in Indiana before moving to New London.
Schmidt is married to Cheryl, a native of New London and a regional vice president for quality for a regional health network, whose family initially alerted him to the local hospital’s executive search. Their daughter Caitlin is a junior at the University of Wisconsin with an interest in government and non-profit organizations.
Schmidt and Erdmann worked side-by-side for the last several months of 2016 to make connections in Shawano. “Dorothy and the board members helped me a lot with introductions and acclimating me to the culture of the hospital and Shawano. Shawano will not be a place I simply visit; I plan to be a fully involved member of the hospital and community,” he said.
“Sharing a CEO is not uncommon in community hospital settings,” Erdmann said. “It is a proven successful model, and Bill has the skills to move within a small community and plug into a large health care system. He’s just as comfortable at the coffee shop as the conference table.”
Erdmann said Schmidt prioritizes openness and transparency. “He started coming to leadership meetings months ago, and the first thing he did was invite our staff to call their counterparts in New London and ask them what they thought of him,” Erdmann said. She expects his reputation as a fair leader with a wealth of wisdom and experience will be well received in Shawano. “It is a very wise decision to put Bill Schmidt in Shawano. Bill understands healthcare services in a rural community may look different than in a larger city. He will be a strong advocate for Shawano’s needs.”
In his 15 years in New London, Bill has been active in numerous local organizations including the Chamber of Commerce (president), New London Tourism Commission (chairman), Rotary, Most Precious Blood Church Finance Committee, First State Bank Board of Directors, New London School District Board of Directors, Community Health Action Team (co-chair), and ThedaCare Family of Foundations-New London (vice chair).
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 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. For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
