Network Management Council
Christopher Howard
President/CEO
Christopher Howard began his duties as the President/CEO of SSM Health Care – St. Louis in January 2012. He oversees the mission, vision and strategic focus for an integrated health care network of seven hospitals, 2,500 physicians, more than 11,200 employees with a net revenue base that exceeds $1 billion. Howard also is a Regional President/System Vice President for SSM Health Care - St. Louis. More...
Lee Bernstein
Regional VP, Hospital Operations/Chief Operating Officer
Bernstein has been with SSM Health Care - St. Louis since 2007, initially as the interim executive vice president/chief operating officer for SSM St. Joseph Hospital West and then leading the network’s North Operating Group as executive vice president/chief operating officer. More...
Kevin Johnson, M.D.
Regional VP, Medical Affairs/Chief Medical Officer
As regional vice president-medical affairs/Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Johnson oversees the strategic development, direction and management support provided to the health care network's seven St. Louis hospitals and the SSM Physicians' Organization in the areas of clinical quality performance, patient safety, risk management, regulatory compliance and clinical resource management. More...
Lynn Lenker
Chief Nursing Executive
Nurse Champion, Project Beacon
As Chief Nursing Executive, Lenker has championed the Relationship Based Care program designed to return the nurse’s focus to the bedside and the patient by working as teams to deliver the care and outcomes all patients deserve. More...
Robert G. Porter
President, Programs and Services/Chief Strategy Officer
Mr. Porter is responsible for developing the overall strategy for SSM Health Care-St. Louis, and individual service lines across the network. He also oversees the SSM Physicians' Organization and ambulatory services. His current role includes responsibility to lead the development of a replacement hospital for one of SSM’s older facilities, with the goal to design the “hospital of the future.” More...
Karen Rewerts
Regional VP, Finance/CFO
Karen Rewerts serves as the SSM Health Care – St. Louis network’s vice president of finance and as its chief financial officer. She oversees the network’s financial functions, including accounting, finance and patient financial services. She has been with SSM Health Care for 18 years, starting as director of financial planning at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, where she also served as director of strategy and business development. More...
Debbie Walkenhorst
Regional VP, Human Resources
As regional vice president of human resources, Debbie Walkenhorst provides strategic direction in aligning talent to organizational needs. She began her career with SSM Health Care – St. Louis in 2003 in a position to enhance a regional nursing resource pool to meet the daily staffing needs. Walkenhorst progressed within SSM Health Care – St. Louis Human Resources into her current position of regional vice president of human resources. More...
Hospital/Service Line Leadership
Kathleen Becker
President, SSM St. Mary’s Health Center
Service Line Executive, SSM Heart Institute
Kathleen (Kate) Becker, is president of SSM St. Mary’s Health Center, a 525-bed acute care hospital in Richmond Heights, Mo., and service line executive for the SSM Heart Institute, a major specialty-focused medical service for SSM Health Care - St. Louis. Becker joined SSM St. Mary’s Health Center in 2011 from Saint Louis University, where she served as the chief executive officer for SLUCare, the university’s multispecialty medical practice. Becker previously served as associate general counsel for the university and has held key positions in a variety of law firms. Becker holds a master’s degree in public health and health policy from Saint Louis University and a JD degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Gaspare Calvaruso
President, SSM St. Joseph Health Center/ SSM St. Joseph Health Center-Wentzville/SSM St. Joseph Medical Park
Service Line Executive, SSM Cancer Care
Gaspare Calvaruso is president of SSM St. Joseph Health Center, a 364-bed acute care hospital in St. Charles, Mo.; SSM St. Joseph Health Center-Wentzville; and SSM St. Joseph Medical Park, St. Peters; as well as service line executive for SSM Cancer Care, a major specialty-focused medical service for SSM Health Care - St. Louis. Calvaruso came to St. Joseph in March 2008. He previously spent 13 years with SSM, largely specializing in physician relations and managed care administration. He served as director of managed care and executive director of the Physician Hospital Organization at SSM’s St. Mary’s Health Center in Jefferson City, Mo. Calvaruso’s expertise also includes physician practice management, contract negotiations, marketing, sales and strategic planning.
Sherlyn Hailstone
President, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center
Service Line Executive, Pediatrics and Maternal Services
Sherlyn Hailstone serves as the president of SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center and as the service line executive for maternal and pediatric services for SSM Health Care – St. Louis. Hailstone has been with SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center since March 2008. Prior to that, she served as president of SSM St. Joseph Health Center and SSM St. Joseph Medical Park, beginning in November 2005. Hailstone is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and currently serves on the Missouri Hospital Association Board of Directors.
R. William Hoefer
President, SSM St. Clare Health Center
Service Line Executive, SSM Neurosciences Institute
R. William (Bill) Hoefer is president of SSM St. Clare Health Center, a 174-bed hospital in Fenton, Mo., and service line executive for the SSM Neurosciences Institute, a major specialty-focused medical service for SSM Health Care - St. Louis. Before joining St. Clare in 2012, Hoefer spent 16 years with Sentara Healthcare in Norfolk, Va., a non-profit, 10-hospital system located throughout Virginia and North Carolina, including four years as vice president of operations for Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, a 543-bed tertiary care facility. Hoefer is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Sean Hogan
President, Ambulatory Services
Appointed president of the newly formed Ambulatory Services division of SSM Health Care – St. Louis in 2009, Sean Hogan oversees the network’s outpatient imaging, ambulatory surgery, endoscopy and sleep centers, as well as joint ventures and other ambulatory partnerships. Hogan joined SSM Health Care-St. Louis in 1999 as area director of strategic development. In 2002, he was named vice president over specialty and ambulatory services for SSM DePaul Health Center, and in January, 2005 became SSM DePaul’s executive vice president/chief operating officer. Before joining SSMSTL, Hogan served as vice president of operations over three hospitals in the Providence Health System based in Portland, Oregon. Hogan holds a master’s degree in Health Administration from Saint Louis University.
Patrice Komoroski
President, SSM DePaul Health Center
Service Line Executive, SSM Behavioral Health
Patrice (Pat) Komoroski is president of SSM DePaul Health Center, a 478-bed acute care hospital located in Bridgeton, Mo., and service line executive for SSM Behavioral Health Services, a major specialty-focused medical service for SSM Health Care - St. Louis. Before coming to DePaul in 2008, Komoroski served three years as president of SSM St. Joseph Hospital West, in Lake Saint Louis, Mo. She also served as that hospital’s executive vice president/chief operating officer from 2000 to 2005. Komoroski is a member of several professional organizations including the American College of Healthcare Executives and American Organization of Nurse Executives.
Lisle Wescott
Interim President, SSM St. Joseph Hospital West
Service Line Executive, SSM Orthopedics
Medical Group Leadership
Mark Renken
Regional Executive Director/Chief Administrative Officer
SSM St. Louis Physicians’ Organization
Mark Renken is the regional executive director/chief administrative officer for the SSM – St. Louis Physicians’ Organization, a multi specialty group practice with more than 250 physicians covering the Greater St. Louis region. Renken has served in this role since 1999. Renken has spent his entire career in medical group management. Prior to joining SSM in 1994, Renken was the president of an independent practice management consulting firm, and served as the executive director for the St. Charles Clinic. Renken has been active in the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) for 30 years and is a past president of MGMA – Missouri.
John Avants
Executive Director
SSM Medical Group – West Region
John Avants is executive director of SSM Medical Group – West Region, a multi-specialty medical group serving St. Charles County, Warrenton and Troy, Mo. Specialties include primary care, ob/gyn, allergy and immunology, cardiology, gastroenterology, breast surgery, general surgery, endovascular surgery, endocrinology, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, podiatry, pulmonology and rheumatology. Avants has been an executive director since joining SSM Medical Group in February 1997. Avants is a member of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). He holds an MBA from Lewis University in Romeo, Ill., and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Jim Bieser
Executive Director
SSM Medical Group – South Region
Jim Bieser is executive director of SSM Medical Group – South Region, a multi-specialty medical group serving the south region of St. Louis City and St Louis County. Specialties include primary care, ob/gyn, cardiology, endocrinology, general surgery, GI (gastrointestinal), pediatrics, pulmonology, sleep medicine and rheumatology. Before becoming the executive director of the South Region in July, 2008, Bieser spent 12 years with the SSM Physicians’ Organization serving as the executive director of SSM Medical Group-North Region.
Rachel Dietz
Executive Director
SSM Medical Group – North Region
Rachel Dietz is executive director of SSM Medical Group – North Region, a multi-specialty medical group serving the north region of St. Louis City and St Louis County. Specialties include primary care, ob/gyn, cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, podiatry, pulmonology and rheumatology. Before being named to her current position in January 2009, Dietz spent 10 years with the SSM Physicians’ Organization serving as the director of process improvement, which supported the integration of physicians through information technology and change management. Dietz is an MQA examiner for the Excellence in Missouri Foundation.