METROPLEX NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Susan Kolodziejczyk
254-519-8122
Date: April 13, 2009
For Immediate Release
Metroplex President/CEO Ken Finch Accepts New Position with Adventist Health System
KILLEEN— Ken Finch has been named as the new President/CEO of Huguley Memorial Hospital in Burleson, Texas and President/CEO of the Adventist Health System Southwest Region. Finch will assume this new responsibility in early May.
“This is a tremendous honor and opportunity,” said Finch. “I am blessed to be able to work with a superb team of leaders that share the same dedication of furthering our mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ. I will miss my colleagues in Killeen, but am excited to continue serving them in my new role.”
As President/CEO of the Adventist Health System Southwest Region, Finch will serve as Board Chairman for both Metroplex Health System in Killeen, Texas and Central Texas Medical Center in San Marcos, Texas.
Finch has served as President/CEO of Metroplex Health System since 1997 and has worked 30 years in Seventh-day Adventist Healthcare. Prior to this position, he served at Castle Medical Center in Oahu, Hawaii for 12 years as Vice President of Finance/CFO and then President/CEO. From 1980 – 1986, Finch served as Assistant Vice President and Controller for the Adventist Health System Eastern and Middle America Regional office. His hospital career began in 1978 as an accountant for Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Shawnee Mission, Kansas.
Ken attended Southwestern Adventist College where he received his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration. He then attended Avila College in Kansas City where he received a Masters of Business Administration Degree.
“Ken has made a significant impact at Metroplex Health System and has a proven record of both operational and financial success,” said Rich Reiner, President/CEO for Adventist Health System’s Multistate Division and Board Chairman for Huguley Memorial Hospital. “He has been instrumental in developing major healthcare initiatives and fostering physician relationships that positively impact the community. I have much respect for him and look forward to working with him in this new capacity.”
Finch replaces Pete Weber who will now serve as President/CEO of Gordon Hospital, also a member of Adventist Health System, in Calhoun, Georgia.
Finch is noted for his numerous accomplishments during his 12 years with Metroplex Health System. Most of these achievements include growth, vision and excellence in patient care. He is responsible for bringing Rollins Brook Community Hospital in Lampasas into the Metroplex Health System and investing millions of dollars in expansions and equipment for that community. Many times he has donned a construction hat and broke ground on new projects at Metroplex facilities, such as the Ledger Smith Professional Building and Scott & White Cancer Center, and the Ambulatory Surgery Center. His biggest expansion project is the five story tower that includes a state-of-the-art ICU and all private patient rooms on every floor. In July 2008 his vision took growth to a new level by helping in the partnership between Adventist Health System and Scott & White HealthCare to include more specialists to the Killeen Community. His new role will keep him involved in his current projects that include the all-inclusive Sue Mayborn Women’s Center, scheduled for completion in July 2009, the 14,000 sq. ft Emergency Room expansion, a 75,000 sq. ft. medical office building, and a recent addition of the only Wound Care Center with Hyperbaric Medicine chambers located between Austin and Waco.
His vision of creating an environment of compassionate care at Metroplex has awarded the facility with rankings in patient satisfaction to above the national average. Twice in the past year he has seen those quarterly numbers rise to 93% and above.
Finch’s commitment is not only to Metroplex; his community involvement is always a priority. He has an extensive list of community activities that has even rendered Metroplex to be awarded the first Bell County Community Service Award. In 2004, they received the “Business of the Year” award from the city of Killeen and numerous other achievements for their volunteerism to the Killeen Free Clinic and for the hurricane victims in 2005.
About Metroplex Health System
Metroplex Health System is the primary healthcare provider for West Bell, Coryell and Lampasas counties, offering a wide array of medical specialties and wellness services. The 233-bed, multi-campus facility is a not-for-profit Christian organization operated as a community service by the Adventist Health System and Scott & White Healthcare. Adventist Health System manages 37 hospitals and employs over 43,000 people in the U.S. and is the 10th largest hospital system in the country. Scott & White Healthcare is one of the nation’s largest multi-specialty group practice systems with more than 700 physicians and scientists. Metroplex Health System and Scott & White Healthcare partnered in July 2008.
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