Mishawaka, Ind. (March 14, 2016) — Saint Joseph Health System (SJHS) is announcing the formal retirement of its President and CEO, Al Gutierrez, scheduled to take effect on December 31, 2016. Gutierrez’s retirement follows five years of achievement and steadfast commitment to SJHS’s mission – leaving the organization strong and well-positioned for the future as a result of his leadership. As the coming months unfold, Trinity Health will work with Gutierrez to determine the system-level projects he can support after he retires, to continue to utilize Gutierrez’s many gifts.
“My time at Saint Joseph Health System has been very rewarding, having been able to play a role in fostering the growth and continued successes of this strong, faith-based organization,” said Al Gutierrez, President and CEO of Saint Joseph Health System. “We have worked hard to establish an incredible team of committed professionals and top-of-the-line resources and protocols to ensure we are doing everything possible to provide the best care to the communities we serve. I will retire later this year with the excitement and anticipation of watching this organization thrive and excel in the years to come.”
Since joining SJHS in 2010, Gutierrez has proven an exemplary leader, innovator and strategist for the organization and the people it serves. In fact, SJHS received national recognition as a top system several times under Gutierrez’s tenure. Gutierrez established a strong regional brand in SJHS and built an engaged, high-performance team to serve the community better.
Gutierrez has also served as a pioneer in establishing education sites to build enrollment for health insurance exchanges in Indiana, engineering master affiliation agreements with St. Vincent’s in Indianapolis for maternal/child service enhancements and with Loyola Medical Center for stroke care.
Gutierrez has been in the health care industry for more than 40 years and, during that time, has been a leader on health care diversity. In 2012, Modern Healthcare named Gutierrez as one of the nation’s Top 25 Minority Executives. Gutierrez also received the Trinity Health Father Basil Antoine Moreau CEO Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award, and continues to remain active in the Latino community, including serving on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
SJHS plans to ensure a smooth transition during this leadership change. Abe Marcus, chairman of the SJHS board, will lead the search committee to find the best candidates for this role. The executive search is anticipated to be completed by December. It will involve a multi-stakeholder search, including physicians and others. The first candidates considered will be internal colleagues. Gutierrez will support the search, while continuing to lead the regional ministry’s pursuit of its People-Centered 2020 strategic plan.
“Locating SJHS’ next President and CEO is an undertaking that the organization will move forward with in a very deliberate manner – to ensure we are able to identify the right candidate who will be able to continue SJHS’ mission – and continue to provide the best care possible to those in our community,” said Abe Marcus, chairman of the SJHS board. “Al will be a tough act to follow – but this community deserves the best – so we plan to work hard to find the best leader for this organization.”
