OSF Healthcare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in the US has announced Meg Zakrzewski as its new president, effective from 29 September 2024.

In her new role, Zakrzewski will be responsible for directly overseeing several clinical service operations within the hospital.

This work will be carried out in close coordination with the ‘shared supporting service’ divisions, as well as the leaders working as part of OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center.  

She will also manage the financial performance of the hospital, which mainly includes the development and execution of budgets, plans, goals, and other policies in response to market conditions. 

Zakrzewski brings extensive experience to the role, joining from Ascension St Vincent in Indianapolis, where she was the vice president of paediatrics and Ascension national paediatric service line’s co-chairperson.  

Her previous posts include leadership roles at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.  

At OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois, Zakrzewski succeeds Mike Wells, who has moved to become the president of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. 

Wells said: “We are at an exciting and critical point in our development as a comprehensive children’s hospital.  

“We are transforming healthcare in central Illinois with new programs and services for the most complex pediatric conditions. Meg is well-equipped to help us navigate this next phase of growth, and I am excited to experience the positive impact of her leadership!”

OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois, situated in Peoria, stands as the third largest paediatric hospital in the state and the leading comprehensive facility for children in the downstate area.

The hospital has a total of 136 beds along with more than 140 paediatric subspecialists and provides care for more children in Illinois than any other hospital outside of Chicago.

Since its establishment as a paediatric hospital within OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in 1990, OSF Children’s Hospital has seen significant patient volumes.

It includes approximately 75,000 outpatient speciality visits, more than 7,000 inpatient admissions, 2,400 newborn deliveries, and nearly 18,000 emergency department visits annually.