Christopher Shireman was placed as the director of provider recruitment and retention at Mercyhealth in Rockford, Illinois, and Janesville, Wisconsin. Mercyhealth is a regional integrated health system of seven hospitals, 85 primary and specialty care locations in 50 communities across southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, a home health/hospice division, and a wholly owned and operated insurance company, served by over 700 employed primary and specialty care physicians who provide over 2.4 million patient visits each year. Mercyhealth has been named to Becker’s Healthcare’s “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare” list, and has received a variety of awards for innovation. In his role, Christopher will manage all aspects of the provider recruitment and retention programs for Mercyhealth system-wide, including developing criteria and implementing strategies to hire and retain quality providers, creating data-driven benchmarking strategies, directing day-to-day operations excellence.
Christopher comes to Mercyhealth from Union Health System in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he served as director for the neuroscience service line, which encompassed five practices and departments, and 20 providers. Responsible for operations, strategic growth, and physician recruitment, Christopher built the service line for the two-hospital regional health system, integrating its components to provide better patient care and increased efficiency. In addition to overseeing the recruitment of providers, he instituted an Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship program, developed a Pain Management Clinic and a multidisciplinary patient review process for pain, oversaw the adoption of a mobile cerebrovascular imaging platform, and co-developed a stroke program.
Previously, Christopher has served in chief executive officer, chief operating officer, chief administrative officer, and practice administrator roles for various specialty physician groups across the country. He began his career as program director for Language Care Center of Kansas City, taking the center from start up to full operation in six weeks, and to profitable status in five months.
Christopher holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cornell College in Iowa, and an MBA from Baker University in Kansas. He is a Certified Medical Practice Executive through the Medical Group Management Association, a Fellow and Certified Healthcare Executive through the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a Certified Surgery Center Administrator through the Board of Ambulatory Surgery Certification.
Outside of work, Christopher enjoys practicing Tae Kwon Do, bicycling, and reading; he is also active in community and professional organizations.
QLK’s Jamie Cassedy led the search to recruit Christopher to Mercyhealth, where his duties will begin on January 23, 2023.
