St. Louis-based BJC Health System CEO Rich Liekweg is retiring, effective Oct. 1, after more than 40 years in healthcare, the health system said in a June 25 news release shared with Becker’s. BJC President Nick Barto will succeed Mr. Liekweg as president and CEO.
“It has been an honor to serve and lead our team members these past 16 years as they deliver exceptional care to our patients and communities,” Mr. Liekweg said of his tenure at BJC. “Together, we successfully navigated through unprecedented times in the industry, never losing sight of our singular purpose to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve. I am deeply proud of our caregivers, the culture we have created and the values we share that place the patient at the center of all we do.”
The leadership transition comes as BJC has grown to become one of the nation’s largest nonprofit academic health systems, with 47,000 caregivers, 24 hospitals and more than 250 clinics and service centers across three states.
Mr. Liekweg has served as CEO of BJC Health System since 2018, although his career there began in 2009 as president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital. He also served as group president of BJC HealthCare and was later named executive vice president and then president in 2015.
BJC credited Mr. Liekweg for his key role in the organization’s growth. The health system also pointed to his other accomplishments, such as the extension of BJC’s 45-year affiliation with Washington University and its School of Medicine, the integration of St. Luke’s Health System of Kansas City, and an agreement between CoxHealth in Springfield, Mo., and St. Louis Children’s Hospital to expand pediatric care.
“Rich’s impact on BJC and on healthcare as a whole has been nothing short of remarkable,” said Greg Bentz, chair of the BJC Health System’s board of directors, in the release. “His strategic vision, steady leadership, and deep commitment to our mission will leave a lasting legacy for years to come.”
Mr. Barto was named president of BJC Health System in 2023 after joining the organization in 2018 as CFO. Mr. Barto was named president of the East Region in 2024, in addition to his role as BJC president. Previously, he worked at Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives as senior vice president of corporate finance and investments, and CFO of enterprise business lines.
BJC credited Mr. Barto with playing a key role in successfully steering the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic and spearheading many of the system’s noteworthy growth initiatives.
“Nick’s 30-plus years of healthcare and operations experience –— including many leading complex, integrated health care systems — make him uniquely qualified to lead BJC through this next chapter of our storied history,” Mr. Bentz said. “His commitment to growth, innovation, creating a vibrant culture, and making strategic investments to improve the vitality of the diverse communities we serve reflect the values that are synonymous with BJC.”
Mr. Barto said in the release:
“I am honored to be selected to succeed Rich Liekweg as BJC Health System’s president and CEO. I look forward to working with our 47,000 team members to build on Rich’s vision that grew BJC into a super-regional health care leader, to continue to provide extraordinary care to the communities we serve, and to position BJC as a mission-oriented academic healthcare leader for all future generations.”
