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March 19, 2021 bchc-news

BCHC CEO, Steve Slessor, to Embark on New Opportunity with Winneshiek Medical Center

On March 18th, Steve Slessor of Buchanan County Health Center announced his upcoming departure from the organization after serving as its Chief Executive Officer for the past seven years.  In early June, Slessor will embark on a new opportunity to serve the communities of Winneshiek County as the Chief Administrative Officer of Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah, Iowa.

“I have had the privilege and pleasure of serving as the CEO of BCHC for over seven years.  I am immensely proud of the work the team did during my time here to grow and transform this organization into the wonderful healthcare organization it is today,” commented Slessor.  “The people here are great and the organization is well positioned financially, structurally, and culturally to continue to do wonderful things in the future.”

“Steve has been a valued leader during his tenure at the BCHC,” commented BCHC Chairperson, Rob Robinson.  “During Steve’s administration BCHC has experienced significant growth in service lines and facilities.  Additional accomplishments under Steve’s guidance have included the merger with Medical Associates in 2016, the recruitment of new primary care providers, and the growth of market share through the opening of BCHC Family Medicine – Oelwein in 2019 and BCHC Family Medicine – Jesup in 2020.

During Slessor’s tenure with BCHC, the organization also saw momentous growth of specialty clinic and surgical services, as well as many facility improvement projects; most notably the Wellness Center and surgical expansion and construction of the new medical office building which was completed in 2017.  In the past year alone, BCHC lead the community through the COVID-19 pandemic under Slessor’s leadership while continuing to grow with the addition of BCHC Oelwein Pharmacy, expansion of specialty services in Independence and Oelwein, and through the introduction of mental health services to the communities of Buchanan County, Oelwein, and surrounding areas.

“The BCHC Board of Trustees has already begun the process of selecting a new CEO under a succession plan previously developed by the Board,” commented Rob Robinson.  “The Board is confident the CEO vacancy at BCHC will be a position of tremendous interest to many high-quality candidates.  The position will be attractive primarily due to the quality and professionalism of the management, employees, and providers who serve the patients of BCHC.  The highly improved facilities as well as the operational and financial strengths of BCHC will also be appealing qualities to the CEO candidates.”

Slessor will continue to serve as BCHC’s CEO through mid-May.  Well wishes may be sent to Steve through email at sslessor@bchealth.org, or by mail to Buchanan County Health Center, Attn: Steve Slessor, 1600 1st St East, Independence, IA 50644.  The associates of BCHC would like to express their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to Steve for his leadership, vision, and commitment to providing the best care to the patients of BCHC for the past seven years that will continue to carry on for years to come.

To stay up-to-date with the latest news and announcements from BCHC, please visit BCHealth.org, or follow “Buchanan County Health Center” on Facebook.

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