Aspirus Names Regional Presidents to Succeed Retiring Leaders
Aspirus Health is pleased to announce the appointment of three new regional presidents. The appointees will succeed Robert Smith, President-Wisconsin Southeast Division, who will retire in September, Brian Kief, President-Wisconsin South & Southwest Divisions, who will retire in December and Dale Hustedt, President-Aspirus Wisconsin-Northwest Division who will also retire later this fall.
Carrie Penovich has been named President-Wisconsin Southeast Division, effective September 3. In this role, Penovich will have strategic and day-to-day operations oversight of Aspirus Plover Hospital and Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital.
Penovich has served in her current role as Chief Administrative Officer for Aspirus Health’s Wisconsin Southeast Division since 2022. Prior to joining Aspirus, she served as Chief Operations Officer with Catalpa Health in Appleton and with Aurora Health Care for 14 years in human resources and clinical services leadership.
Chris Squire will join Aspirus Health on September 3 as President-Wisconsin South & Southwest Divisions. In this role, Squire will provide strategic and day-to-day operations oversight of Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital in Portage and Aspirus Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids.
Squire joins Aspirus from Gaylord, Michigan, where he served with Munson Healthcare as President/CEO of Otsego Memorial Hospital since 2021. Prior to that, he was Vice President-Professional & Ancillary Services with Munson Healthcare and Otsego Memorial Hospital. Squire brings more than 20 years of healthcare innovation, operational excellence, and strategic collaboration to his role with Aspirus. His passion lies in building and motivating teams to increase clinical quality, drive profitability, and improve patient/customer experience through best practices that drive strategic and operational success.
Jason Troxell will be transitioning from his current role as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) in the Aspirus Wisconsin North Division to President - Wisconsin Northwest Division effective Tuesday, September 3.
Troxell has held the position of CAO with Aspirus since May 2022. Prior to that, he was Chief Executive Officer for ELWA Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa, from 2018-2020 followed by a role as Director of Managed Care & Population Health for Logan Health in Kalispell, Montana. Of note, Troxell held Director and Manager positions in Project Management from 2014-2018.
As President of the Wisconsin Northwest Division, Troxell's strategic oversight and day-to-day operations oversight will be at Aspirus Medford Hospital and Aspirus Stanley Hospital.
Aspirus Health is a nonprofit, community-directed health system based in Wausau, Wisconsin, serving northeastern Minnesota, northern and central Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The health system operates 18 hospitals and 130 outpatient locations with nearly 14,000 team members, including 1,300 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Learn more at aspirus.org.