Charles Holland, CEO of St. Bernard Hospital in Chicago, is the recipient of this year's Steven Schroeder Award for Outstanding Healthcare CEO — an award created by The Leapfrog Group and Costs of Care to recognize hospital and health system leaders who have addressed quality and healthcare affordability for the communities they serve.
St. Bernard Hospital is a Catholic safety-net hospital in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood on the South Side, which Mr. Holland has led since 2013.
Under his leadership, the hospital improved its Leapfrog safety grade from an "F" to an "A" in two years, the awarders said in a news release. Throughout his tenure as CEO, Mr. Holland has focused on positioning the hospital as a community leader by addressing residents' needs and creating programs to help prevent disease. He played an integral role in establishing St. Bernard Hospital's affordable housing project, a pediatric mobile health unit program and the St. Bernard Hospital Dental Center.
"Under Charles Holland's dedicated leadership, St. Bernard Hospital was able to document dramatic improvement in quality of care in a neighborhood that faces multiple challenges, while simultaneously preserving access to its services for those in need and keeping costs under control," Steven Schroeder, MD, former president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and for whom the award is named, said in a statement. "At a time when medical institutions are beset with multiple problems, Mr. Holland's leadership shows that it is possible for a community hospital to serve its community with style and compassion."
This marks the sixth annual edition of the award from The Leapfrog Group and Costs of Care, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing healthcare affordability.
Read more about the award and past recipients here.