Executive Team Transitions Announced

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The University of Kansas Health System announced several executive leaders will transition into new roles that will mostly impact the St. Francis and Great Bend campuses.

Effective Jan. 1, 2027, John Worden, currently Great Bend Campus chief executive officer, will become the St. Francis Campus chief executive officer. He is replacing Scott Campbell, who announced in early October he will retire at the end of this year.

Bob Copple, Great Bend Campus ambulatory business director, will transition to interim CEO of the Great Bend Campus.

Worden will be joined on the St. Francis executive team by Gloria Solis, RN, who will serve as interim chief operating officer for the St. Francis Campus. In her current role as associate chief nursing officer for The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Solis has played a key role in the cancer center's location in Topeka. She will maintain her current cancer center role with the added role of interim COO for the St. Francis Campus.

Heath Latham, MD, FCCP, will serve as the chief medical officer for the St. Francis Campus while continuing in his current health system role as chair of the Great Bend Campus advisory board. Additionally, he will continue his role as director of the rural residency program for Kansas' Anchor Hospital Advancement Program. Latham will also continue to have an ambulatory practice in Kansas City.

In September, The University of Kansas Health System and Ardent Health announced the signing of a definitive agreement for The University of Kansas Health System to acquire full ownership of St. Francis Campus and affiliated care locations by the end of 2026, following a successful joint venture partnership of nearly 10 years.

"We are pleased to announce these transitions of highly experienced and dedicated executive leaders," says Tammy Peterman, president of The University of Kansas Health System. "These executives will join the talented and caring people at our facilities who serve our patients and the community every day. We thank all of you for your support in helping these executives transition to their new roles."

"We are all looking forward to learning and growing with the wonderful people at St. Francis Campus," says Bob Page, CEO of The University of Kansas Health System. "We believe the next chapter of the hospital is bright."