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April 19, 2017

ThedaCare Names Imran Andrabi MD New President And CEO

APPLETON, Wis. – ThedaCare Board of Trustees named Imran Andrabi, MD, as the new president and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin-based healthcare organization at its Board meeting Tuesday, April 18. Dr. Andrabi will join ThedaCare on June 19, 2017, following the retirement of Dr. Dean Gruner, who has led the system for nine years.

Andrabi Chosen for His Vision of Next-Generation Healthcare and Commitment to Customers, Caregivers and Community

APPLETON, Wis. – ThedaCare Board of Trustees named Imran Andrabi, MD, as the new president and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin-based healthcare organization at its Board meeting Tuesday, April 18. Dr. Andrabi will join ThedaCare on June 19, 2017, following the retirement of Dr. Dean Gruner, who has led the system for nine years.

Dr. Andrabi, 49, comes to ThedaCare from Mercy Health, a non-profit Catholic healthcare ministry serving Ohio and Kentucky. He began with Mercy Health (formerly Catholic Healthcare Partners) as an intern and medical resident 25 years ago and steadily advanced to become regional president and chief executive officer of the Toledo region in 2015.

At Mercy Health, Dr. Andrabi consistently led his team in achieving outstanding quality care performance, improving customer experience, as well as growing the system and the number of physicians recruited. He is known for shaping a clear vision of the future of healthcare, helping others in the healthcare profession to advance, and furthering his organization’s contributions to the community.

“ThedaCare has a compelling vision for the next generation of healthcare in the communities we serve right here in Wisconsin,” said John Davis, president of the ThedaCare Board of Trustees and CEO of Great Northern Corp. “We want to increasingly provide peace of mind for our customers, our team and our neighbors as healthcare evolves. Through a thoughtful and thorough process, we sought a leader who shares in that vision, who successfully leads a healthcare organization to continually grow and become better, and who values customers’ perspectives, cares for caregivers, and builds relationships in the community.”

Dr. Andrabi chose to accept the leadership role at ThedaCare in large part because of the reputation the healthcare organization has nationally. “When I think of best-in-class healthcare, ThedaCare is one that I have admired over the years,” said Dr. Andrabi. “This includes the work ThedaCare is doing in quality and Lean Six Sigma. So when the opportunity arose, I had to explore it, because of my admiration for the work the people at ThedaCare have been doing for a long time.

“When I visited locations within ThedaCare, I found everyone to be extremely open and welcoming, which says a lot about the culture. They were willing to share their perspectives, successes and challenges. That openness is really what helped make a difficult decision—to leave Mercy, where I have been for so long—feel like the right one.”

The nine-member Selection Committee for the system’s new CEO was appointed by the ThedaCare Board and included largely non-board members from a range of occupations and locations across ThedaCare and the community. The committee, under the leadership of past ThedaCare board chair Jon Stellmacher, conducted a nationwide search in partnership with executive search firm Korn Ferry. In the process, the committee reviewed feedback from 40 individuals from ThedaCare and the community who met with the candidates.

“Those who met Dr. Andrabi during the interview process were impressed by his experience and how he focused on improving the health of local community members,” said Davis. “In addition, they saw his sincere interest and interactions with our team as he toured our facilities. That is important to us — a leader who is personally connected to our team and to customers and their families.”

Dr. Andrabi will join ThedaCare as it addresses a future of convenient, accessible healthcare – one where customers may seek technology-enabled medical services online, at home, at work, at neighborhood clinics and in outpatient or critical care locations when needed. ThedaCare leadership has a strategic focus that lays the foundation for these multiple touch points for customers. This includes the discussion of a next-generation medical center in the Fox Cities. Dr. Andrabi and his team will build from this strategic focus to move forward.

“Over the years, I have learned the importance of listening and understanding,” said Dr. Andrabi. “One of the first things I need to do as I join ThedaCare is to listen and understand the foundation Dr. Gruner has in place to improve the health of the community, and the opportunities and challenges ahead.”

Dr. Gruner leaves ThedaCare after serving as president and CEO since 2008. Under his direction, ThedaCare has continued to grow as the largest healthcare provider in Northeast Wisconsin and the largest locally based employer with 6,700 employees, seven hospitals, 32 clinics and other healthcare services across nine counties.

Dr. Andrabi received his medical degree from King Edward Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan, and is certified by the American Board of Family Practice. With an interest in helping others in the healthcare field advance, Dr. Andrabi has been actively involved in teaching medical students as teaching faculty at the Medical College of Ohio and the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. In addition, he serves on numerous boards and committees to improve the health and economic status of the Toledo community.

When Dr. Andrabi begins with ThedaCare in June, personal introductions will be planned with ThedaCare physicians and staff, partners, boards, donors and community leaders among others. Dr. Andrabi and his wife, Reema, have two adult sons and a daughter in high school, and are in the process of planning visits to look at homes in the area.

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 32 clinics in nine 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. For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.