St. John’s Hospital – Lebanon president Michael J. Gillen is recognized in the Up & Comers Yearbook compiled by Modern Healthcare. The commemorative edition, published Sept. 17, features updates on all 244 Up & Comers chosen by Modern Healthcare from 1987 through 2006. The annual awards recognize 12 individuals who are chosen as rising stars in the healthcare industry.
An article in Modern Healthcare describes the goal behind the awards and the retrospective yearbook. “For twenty years, we’ve had the opportunity to honor these young leaders for their remarkable achievements. The evolution of healthcare would never have been possible without these outstanding individuals who commit early in their careers to improve the quality of life. The transformation of healthcare depends on these and similarly talented leaders who are eager to further the mission and vision of their organizations.”
Each year’s class of Up & Comers is measured by extraordinary contributions to their communities and chosen from the field of highly qualified nominees by an editorial review board.
Gillen, who took the reigns of leadership at St. John’s-Lebanon in July, was honored to be chosen in 2002.
“The Up & Comer award is a highlight of my career. It gives me pride in the work that I do and confidence to meet the challenges of healthcare head on,” says Gillen. “It also reminds me of the great teams that I have had the privilege to be on and the difference we can make to the future of healthcare.”
As St. John’s-Lebanon President, Gillen is responsible for overall operations, working closely with Board members and other health system leaders.
Gillen has a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Services Administration from University of South Dakota. He most recently served as chief executive officer at Sterling Regional MedCenter, part of Banner Health, a private, not-for-profit health system headquartered in Phoenix.
Gillen’s advice to those entering the healthcare field, “Never settle for the status quo. The world is constantly changing and if you are not pushing yourself and others to make things better, you are falling behind. Enjoy every minute, do your best, and always do the right thing by the patient.”
