HSHS St. John’s Hospital has welcomed a new president and CEO. Matthew Fry, MHA, MBA, FACHE, has joined our Springfield community from Oakland, Calif., where he served as the assistant administrator/COO at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. Joining him is his wife Amanda, Charlotte (Charlie, 4), Samantha (2), and Matt Jr. (10 months).

 

“We bought a house well before I even began my first day here,” said Matt. “My wife, Amanda, and our three children are enjoying meeting new people and discovering our new community. I am honored to work alongside my new team at HSHS St. John’s Hospital and look forward to building a life and career here.”

Matthew’s family is residing in Panther Creek, and his oldest daughter, Charlie, is enrolled at Blessed Sacrament School.

Matt has spent nearly a decade of his health care career within the Sutter Health system and its affiliates. Prior to his role as assistant administrator/COO at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, he held the positions of area operations executive/COO for Sutter Valley Medical Foundation in Sacramento; director of clinical operations at Sutter Physician Services in Salt Lake City, Utah; and home health administrator at Sutter Care at Home in San Leandro, Cal. Sutter Health is a not-for-profit integrated health system headquartered in Sacramento, Cal., operating 24 acute care hospitals and over 200 clinics in Northern California.

“We conducted two extensive national CEO searches to find the perfect fit for this community,” said Damond Boatwright, president and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System. “HSHS St. John’s Hospital is an important flagship ministry for our system of hospitals and health care organizations. St. John’s chief nursing officer Allison Paul graciously and skillfully handled the role of interim CEO so we could really take a hard look at who would be the best leader for this hospital, and the Springfield community, long term.”

Matt’s first day with HSHS was September 19, 2022.

Matt began his health care career as an administrative fellow in 2013 with Sutter Physicians Service. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada in Reno, and a Master of Healthcare Administration from Louisiana State University in Shreveport, La. Matt is currently working on his Doctor of Healthcare Administration from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., and expects to complete the program in 2023.

“Hospitals across the world endured trauma, change and growth during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Allison Paul, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, chief nursing officer and former interim president and CEO of St. John’s. “While health care is still navigating this new world, Matt’s onboarding has brought a sense of forward motion to our Franciscan health care ministry. His arrival signifies that we have made it through and are well positioned to face future challenges head on.”

Matt and his family enjoy cooking, hiking and spending time outdoors. Matt is also looking forward to becoming active in local organizations.

 

“I have already joined the Knights of Columbus, Blessed Sacrament Church, walked in breast cancer awareness walks with my family and colleagues and met so many wonderful leaders, physicians and engaged community members. Springfield has welcomed my family with open arms, and I am honored
to serve them as their new HSHS St. John’s CEO.”

HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Illinois is a regional medical center offering a comprehensive array of health care services to central and southern Illinois. Founded in 1875, St. John’s is the flagship hospital of Hospital Sisters Health System and is home to the Prairie Heart Institute, St. John’s Children’s Hospital, St. John’s Women’s Services, St. John’s Neurosciences Institute, St. John’s Cancer Center, orthopedic services and AthletiCare. St. John’s now has one of the most advanced surgery centers in the nation and a renovated patient tower. St. John’s is designated as a level I trauma center, has its own college of nursing and is a teaching hospital for the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. For more information about St. John’s Hospital, visit www.st-johns.org.