NEW PRESIDENT, CEO NAMED AT ST. FRANCIS

Steven Bjelich wants a job that shares a sense of values, family and community, and he says he has found that job at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

Bjelich was named the medical center's president and chief executive officer Tuesday. He assumes duties July 5.

St. Francis began a search for a new CEO in December when James Sexton announced his resignation to accept a position as president and CEO of North Iowa Mercy Health Center and Network. While the search was in progress, Don "Dusty" Rhodes, vice president of human resources, was named by the board as interim CEO.

Dennis Marchi served as chairman of the search committee.

"He's a collaborator," Marchi said. "He works well with physicians and employees, and he likes to get involved in the community."

Marchi said he was also impressed with Bjelich's desire to come to Cape Girardeau.

Harry Rediger, chairman of the St. Francis Board of Directors, said, "In checking his references, we found he is strong in the areas we need strength: employee relations and physician relations."

Rediger said Bjelich also has experience developing business partnerships.

"He also shows excellent results as far as the numbers go," Rediger said. "But it's the relationship skills we're most interested in."

Most recently Bjelich was CEO of St. Francis Hospital and Healthcare Services in Wilmington, Del. That system includes a 395-bed acute-care hospital, two 100-bed nursing care facilities, 14 primary physician practice sites and several ambulatory care centers.

The Wilmington hospital is part of Catholic Health Initiative, a non-profit Denver-based chain of 63 hospitals. About a year ago the regional entity consolidated the CEO positions of three hospitals under one person. Bjelich stepped down in March 1998. He was replaced by a part-time president who was also running two Philadelphia hospitals.

Bjelich is an Indiana native and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Indiana University. Following career moves from Detroit and Kansas City, he was named chief operating officer at one of American Medical International's Los Angeles hospitals.

Wanting to return to the Midwest, Bjelich took a position as chief operating officer of a Catholic hospital in Louisville, Ky. After five years in Louisville, he took the lead operational role at Wyoming Valley Health Care System in Pennsylvania. A few years later he was selected for his first CEO position at St. Francis in Wilmington.

"Cape Girardeau is a lot closer to home," Bjelich said Tuesday after accepting the position here.

"The values of this community and the values of this hospital are consistent with our values," Bjelich said. "We want to bring up a family and be part of a community where we are able to give something back and to make a difference."