OSF HealthCare announces interim leadership changes
For the Western Region
With the recent resignation of Lisa DeKezel, president of OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg and OSF HealthCare Holy Family Medical Center in Monmouth, OSF HealthCare is implementing an interim leadership plan during the search for her successor.
Zach Yoder has been appointed interim president of both OSF St. Mary and OSF Holy Family. He will step away from his current role as president at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton for up to six months to support this transition. During this period, Lisa Schepers, DNP, currently vice president and chief nursing officer, will serve as interim president of OSF Saint Anthony’s.
Moving forward, OSF plans to align OSF HealthCare Saint Luke Medical Center in Kewanee, OSF St. Mary and OSF Holy Family under a single president through the upcoming search process. This integrated leadership model will strengthen the regional approach for OSF to deliver care throughout the west central Illinois market. OSF Saint Luke will continue to be led by Jackie Kernan, MSN, RN, during this transition. Once this position has been filled, Kernan will remain as president of OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center in Dixon.
These interim leadership changes will be effective January 5, 2026.
OSF HealthCare is an integrated health system founded by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. Headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, OSF HealthCare has 17 hospitals – 11 acute care, five critical access, one continuing care – with 2,305 licensed beds throughout Illinois and Michigan. OSF employs more than 26,000 Mission Partners across 160+ locations and includes OSF OnCall, the digital health operating entity which offers a hospital-at-home. Advances in health care transformation take place through OSF Innovation and OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois, the third largest pediatric hospital in Illinois, cares for our smallest patients. In addition, OSF has two colleges of nursing; operates OSF Home Care Services, an extensive network of home health and hospice services; owns Pointcore, Inc., comprised of health care-related businesses; OSF HealthCare Foundation, the philanthropic arm for the organization; and OSF Ventures, which provides investment capital for promising health care innovation startups. OSF HealthCare has been recognized by Fortune as one of the most innovative companies in the country. More at osfhealthcare.org.