WICHITA, MAY 13, 2010 - Kevin Strecker has been chosen to serve as chief executive officer for the Via Christi Hospital nearing completion at 14800 W. St. Teresa.
“Kevin has all the attributes needed to successfully lead our new hospital,” said Randy Peterson, acting president and CEO for Via Christi Hospitals Wichita, Inc., in making the announcement Thursday. “He has a demonstrated track record for developing and maintaining positive physician relationships, solid organizational and operational skills, and a strong alignment with Via Christi’s Mission and Core Values and Catholic health care.”
“In addition, through his leadership of Anatomi Imaging, Kevin is familiar with the physicians who practice in west Wichita and they know him, furthering his ability to hit the ground running,” Peterson said.
Strecker, whose appointment is effective Monday, has served in a variety of leadership roles at Via Christi during his 11-year tenure, most recently as vice president of Operations, overseeing all ancillary hospital services, Neurology and Behavioral Health.
“As a west Wichita resident, I’m thrilled to have a community hospital close to home,” said J.V. Johnston, who chairs the Via Christi Hospitals’ Board of Trustees. “Leading the first full-service hospital to be built anywhere in Wichita in decades is a well-deserved opportunity for Kevin.”
Strecker, who has been involved with the project since the initial design and development began approximately two years ago, is equally excited about his new role.
“I’m privileged to get to play such a major role in such a key milestone in the history of Via Christi and of west Wichita and the surrounding communities,” said Strecker. “I’m also excited about the opportunity to help design care around the needs of patients and their families.”
The new Via Christi Hospital, which is on budget and on track for its projected opening in early August, will feature 68 private rooms, four labor and delivery suites and a full-service Emergency Department nestled in a 120-acre campus being developed near 21st Street North and 151st Street West.
To date, approximately 60 of the 300 employees needed to staff the hospital once it opens have been hired.
About Kevin Strecker
Kevin Strecker, a Scott City native, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Kansas State University in 1993. The following year, he began working for what is now Via Christi Rehabilitation Center. He became licensed as an emergency medical technician and over the next three years served Via Christi in several different capacities.
Strecker left Wichita in 1997, during which time he completed his master's in Business Administration and was a regional administrator for HealthSouth's imaging division. In 2002, he returned to Via Christi as director of Radiology for Via Christi Hospital.
Strecker was named vice president of operations for Anatomi Imaging in March 2003. In 2006, he was named vice president of Imaging and Laboratory Services for Via Christi Hospitals Wichita Inc. and in 2009 he assumed the role of vice president of Operations, overseeing all ancillary hospital services as well as Neurology and Behavioral Health.
Via Christi Health (www.via-christi.org), the largest provider of healthcare services in Kansas, is affiliated with the Marian Health System and Ascension Health. It serves the region through hospitals and outpatient centers, senior villages and services at home. VCH employs more than 9,000 in Kansas and northeast Oklahoma. In fiscal year 2009, VCH provided more than $78.1 million in community benefit, including care of persons who are poor, to the communities it serves in Kansas and northeast Oklahoma.
