As President/Chief Executive Officer of SSM Health, Laura S. Kaiser, FACHE, leads a Catholic not-for-profit health system serving communities across the Midwest through a robust and fully integrated health care delivery system. Headquartered in St. Louis, SSM Health includes 23 hospitals, more than 290 physician offices and other outpatient and virtual care services, 10 post-acute facilities, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company and an accountable care organization. The nearly 40,000 employees and 11,000 providers at SSM Health are committed to delivering exceptional health care services and revealing God’s healing presence to everyone they serve.
Ms. Kaiser joined SSM Health as President/CEO in May 2017, bringing 30+ years of experience in health care strategy, improving clinical quality, fueling innovation, managing operational performance and growth, leading change management and successfully facilitating health care integration. Ms. Kaiser previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, UT. She also served at Ascension Health in a number of senior leadership roles including Regional Executive for the Gulf Coast/ Florida region and President/CEO at Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, FL.
Ms. Kaiser currently serves on several boards, including the Catholic Health Association, Nuance Communications and the Scottsdale Institute, and is a member of the American Hospital Association Systems Council, the Healthcare Leadership Council, and the St. Louis Regional Business Council.
She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Missouri, a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Healthcare Administration from Saint Louis University. Ms. Kaiser is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and in 2018 and 2019 was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare magazine.