Burbank’s Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center has a new chief executive, Karl Keeler, a veteran health care executive.
Keeler previously served as president of Iowa-based MercyOne, a joint operation of two major health organizations that owned and managed 43 hospitals with a total of 20,000 employees. His addition ends a nationwide search made by Providence to fill the role.
Kevin Manemann, chief executive of Providence South Division, said in a statement that Keeler “demonstrated experience in hospital operations, growth and strategy.”
“Equally important are Karl’s strong communication skills, dedication to building trust through transparency and his personal alignment with our mission, vision, values and our promise: Know me, care for me, ease my way,” he added.
Keeler’s specialties include strategic planning, improving operational performance, physician recruitment and leading population health initiatives — skills that helped the health care industry veteran navigate pandemic-induced challenges.
His time with MercyOne notably involved initiatives made to improve COVID-19 testing, manage patient influx, utilize virtual care and develop staffing models to retain employees. The latter initiative was particularly important as the health care industry at large has dealt with constant and significant staffing shortages.
“Providence Saint Joseph has a reputation for quality and for living its mission and values,” Keeler said in a statement. “I hope to engage as many people as possible in my first weeks to get to know the hospital, the culture and, most importantly, to listen to caregivers. The health care industry is facing some tough post-pandemic challenges and I want to hear ideas from everyone, especially our front-line teams.”
Keeler earned a bachelor’s degree in health promotion from Brigham Young University and a master’s in health services administration from the University of Michigan.