Saint Francis CEO gets statewide honor

For his 17 years of service to the Saint Francis Healthcare System (SFHS) and more than four decades in the health-care field, Steven Bjelich received the Missouri Hospital Association's highest honor: the 2016 Distinguished Service Award.

The award, which is meant to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to health care, Missouri hospitals and the communities they serve, was presented to Bjelich on Thursday during the association's 94th annual Convention & Trade Show at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.

Bjelich was honored for his leadership, advocacy and commitment to health care.

"Steve's influence as a member of the MHA board of trustees, his commitment to improving the value of the health care delivered at the state's hospitals, and his dedication to a stronger, healthier Missouri, are unparalleled," Herb B. Kuhn, MHA president and CEO, was quoted as saying in a news release from Saint Francis Healthcare System. "He's a fierce competitor. His tireless advocacy for better care has raised the bar for all of the state's hospitals."

Bjelich has been the president and CEO at Saint Francis Healthcare System since 1999. During that time, the system's physical campus has quadrupled in size, growing from 340,000 to 1.4 million square feet. The expansion includes an $84 million Heart Hospital and Cancer Institute and the system's most recent construction project, called "Building on Excellence."

As part of this $127 million project, a five-story patient tower opened in July 2015, and the Women and Children's Pavilion and the renovated Cross Tower opened in 2016.

This is the second-largest private construction project in Cape Girardeau following Isle Casino.

Along with the physical expansion, the SFHS employee base has grown from 1,103 employees to 2,800, with a payroll of more than $185 million. And there are now 34 outreach clinics in 10 communities affiliated with Saint Francis Healthcare System.

The health-care system also implemented its $43 million Epic medical-record system in 2016 and became affiliated with MD Anderson Cancer Network and the Cleveland Clinic Heart and Vascular Institute.

Before joining Saint Francis, Bjelich served in senior management positions at hospitals throughout the country. He serves as chairman of the MHA Strategic Quality Advisory Committee and as a member of the MHA board of trustees. He received the MHA Visionary Leader Award in 2010.

"Steve Bjelich has changed the face of health care in the region Saint Francis serves. His leadership has taken Saint Francis from small hospital on the hill to a leading health-care system," Don Kaverman, chairman of the board at SFHS, said in the news release. "The board of directors has guided Saint Francis through its growth with an exceptional president and chief executive officer. We are pleased the Missouri Hospital Association shares our recognition of his service."

Bjelich said he is humbled by the honor, which holds personal significance to him as his mentor, Dan Anderson, former president and CEO of the Baptist Health System, received the same award years ago.

"He gave me my first senior executive-team break ... in the '80s," Bjelich said. "Dan's mentorship, I think, has had a significant influence on my entire career. So really, it's come full circle."

The award, Bjelich said, is a reflection of a team effort among SFHS board of directors, medical staff, executive team and thousands of employees.

"It's a privilege to be a part of this team," Bjelich said.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau, Mo.