Healthcare Executive Kathy Kelly Named Market CEO for Kindred Hospitals of Chicago

Experienced leader will oversee four specialty hospitals in the area  

CHICAGO (July 11, 2024) – Kathy Kelly, who has more than 25 years of healthcare experience in the Chicagoland area, was recently named the Market Chief Executive Officer for Kindred Hospitals of Chicago. In her new role, Kelly oversees all strategic planning, finances, operations and personnel for Kindred’s four specialty, long-term acute care hospitals in the market: Kindred Hospital Chicago Lakeshore, Kindred Hospital Chicago – North, Kindred Hospital Chicago – Northlake, and Kindred Hospital Sycamore. 

As Market CEO for Kindred Hospitals of Chicago, Kelly is responsible for leading the four hospitals with a combined 430 beds that provide long-term acute care and specialized rehabilitation to medically complex patients recovering from serious injury or illness. In addition, Kindred Hospital Chicago – North features a 30-bed inpatient behavioral health unit.

Kelly comes to Kindred Hospitals after most recently serving seven years as Vice President and Health System Executive at ICU Medical, where she was a leader in a range of sales, business and strategy functions. Primarily, Kelly has worked on the development and maintenance of commercial strategic plans, partnering with leading Midwest integrated delivery networks (IDNs) and hospital C-suite executives on the adoption of new patient safety technologies that improve infection prevention and contribute to higher HCAHPS patient satisfaction scores. Throughout her career, Kelly has been a leader in managing C-suite relationships and strategic accounts, marketing and achieving customer success.

“It’s an honor to take on the role of Market CEO for Kindred Hospitals of Chicago and to use the healthcare leadership experience I’ve gained and executive relationships I’ve built throughout my career to help bring high-quality, compassionate care to Chicagoland patients who are facing complex medical challenges,” Kelly said.

“I look forward to continuing my relationships in acute care hospitals across the Chicagoland area to ensure that our healthcare community understands Kindred’s dedication to clinical quality and patient safety, and is aware of our four Chicago-area hospitals’ expertise in caring for medically complex patients.”

Matthew Keppler, Senior Vice President, Specialty Hospital Operations, for ScionHealth, which is the parent company of Kindred Hospitals, said, “As a leading provider of specialty hospital care in the Chicagoland area and across the country, Kindred Hospitals is excited that Kathy Kelly has become the new CEO for the Chicago market. Kathy is highly respected and trusted by hospital leaders across the Chicago area, and she is the perfect person to help providers and referral sources understand all that Kindred Hospitals has to offer in helping their medically complex patients. Kathy’s leadership will be invaluable in helping Kindred Hospitals of Chicago achieve excellent patient outcomes, support our caregivers and grow our business.”

Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Communications from Illinois State University, and the degrees of Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University. She is a member of the Chicago Healthcare Executive Forum and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

About Kindred Hospitals of Chicago

Kindred Hospitals of Chicago are a group of four long-term acute care hospitals in the Chicagoland area – Kindred Hospital Chicago Lakeshore, Kindred Hospital Chicago – North, Kindred Hospital Chicago – Northlake, and Kindred Hospital Sycamore – that specialize in the treatment of medically complex patients who are recovering from serious injury or illness. Kindred Hospitals offer the same in-depth care patients would receive in a traditional hospital or intensive care unit, but for an extended period of time needed for recovery. Visit www.KindredHospitals.com and use the location finder to identify facilities near you. Kindred Hospitals are part of ScionHealth, one of the nation’s largest hospital systems and leading providers of long-term acute care. Visit www.ScionHealth.com for more information.