Former Joplin hospital CEO becomes head of Southeast Missouri Hospital

Independent hospitals have more flexibility to respond to both the community and a changing national health-care scene, the new president and CEO of Southeast Missouri Hospital said Thursday.

Debbie Linnes, who has worked in large hospital systems, became Southeast Missouri Hospital's 11th president Thursday, succeeding James Wente, who retired after 19 years in the hospital's top job.

During her introduction and in an interview afterward, she said one of the biggest challenges facing the hospital will be the results of the national debate over health care.

"Health care is changing," Linnes said. "This is the most dynamic period in health care at the national level."

The hospital has a strong leadership team that Linnes said she won't disrupt. "We will build on that strength to move forward as an organization," she said.

Linnes' first move as hospital chief was to hire James Limbaugh, chief operating officer of Montgomery Bank, to become executive vice president of planning and business development. To take the post, Limbaugh resigned as president of the hospital's board of trustees.

Both Linnes and Limbaugh will start their duties Sept. 28. Wente will remain as CEO emeritus through July 31, 2010.

Limbaugh will be responsible for marketing, public relations, business development, strategic growth and planning, foundation fund development and advocacy on behalf of the hospital.

One of the most important tasks, Limbaugh said, will be to convince potential patients that they do not have to travel to St. Louis or Memphis to receive high-quality care. "We need to mitigate the transfer of health care to other markets when the perceptions are that there is better care elsewhere when the outcomes are not significantly different," he said.

Board first vice chairman Al Spradling III was named chairman of the trustees after Limbaugh stepped down. Spradling called Linnes a "great fit for Southeast Missouri Hospital, Cape Girardeau and the region as we move forward."

Linnes moves to Cape Girardeau from Joplin, Mo., where she was president and CEO of St. John's Regional Medical Center until July 2008. At the time she stepped down, she said she was seeking new opportunities but did not want to do so while committed to that job.

St. John's is part of the 77-hospital Catholic Health Initiatives, the nation's second largest Catholic health-care system. Founded in 1928, Southeast Missouri Hospital is a 266-bed independent, not-for-profit hospital that employs 2,200 people.

The national debate on health care means a lengthy period of uncertainty for providers, Linnes said in an interview after her appointment was announced. With economics driving the agenda, there will be more demands on physicians, other health providers and a need to maintain quality, she said.

Southeast, she said, will remain a "leader both locally and a participant in the national dialogue."

The hospital is well-positioned to respond to the coming changes in health care, she said. "An organization like Southeast has the ability to assess community needs and respond promptly," she said.

The search for a new president at Southeast Missouri Hospital was conducted by Grant Cooper & Associates, a St. Louis-based firm. But Linnes came to the attention of Limbaugh last year when they met while he was working with Landmark, a Cape Girardeau company that operates acute-care facilities, to open a new hospital in Joplin.

She said she became impressed with the loyalty, integrity and mission of Southeast as she became acquainted with Limbaugh and Cape Girardeau.

And Limbaugh said he was impressed with Linnes' views on the role of a community hospital. "Occasionally, you cross paths with people who fundamentally get it," he said. "It is amazing how those things happen."

Linnes, who holds a bachelor of science degree in nursing and a master's degree in health administration, has almost 30 years' experience in the health-care field. She has held jobs as a senior vice president of a regional health-care system in Colorado for the Sisters of Charity Leavenworth and a leadership position for a member of the Catholic Healthcare West system in California.

Linnes is married to Steve Linnes. They have three children -- a daughter in college in Nashville, Tenn., and two sons who will attend schools in Cape Girardeau.

rkeller@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

1701 Lacey St., Cape Girardeau, MO

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