Karen Smith Appointed CEO

Karen Smith was unanimously appointed the new chief executive officer of Coffey Health System by the organization's board of trustees on Monday, December 19, 2011.

“Based upon the candidates who applied and who we researched, Karen was consistently at the top,” said board chairman John Hetzel. “As interim chief executive officer, she has shown that she is exceedingly capable of leading Coffey Health System.”

Smith has served as interim CEO since the departure of Dennis George who resigned in October after 20 years in the position.

Smith joined CHS three years ago as chief financial officer.  In addition to her administrative experience at CHS, she brings to the position fourteen years of previous healthcare management experience. She began her career as an administrator for a specialty surgical group in Ft. Wayne, Indiana; then served as chief financial officer at a Cody, Wyoming hospital for two years. She also brings two-and-a-half years experience as CFO at the Montana Heart Center for Cardiology in Missoula.

Smith has dual degrees in business administration and accounting from Indiana University, and an MBA from Colorado Technical University. She resides near Gridley with her husband, Gale. They have an adult daughter.