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President of new Janesville hospital named

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Kerry Swanson

JANESVILLE — SSM Health Care of Wisconsin has hired a president for its St. Mary's Janesville Hospital, but it will be nearly two years until Kerry Swanson gets down to the day-to-day duties of running the $80 million facility.

In the interim, Swanson will play a lead role in the construction of the 100-bed hospital, which is part of a $140 million project that also includes a new Dean Health System clinic on Janesville's southeast side.

"It's an exciting time," said Swanson, who is currently chief operating officer of Alliance Community Hospital in Alliance, Ohio.

That excitement includes surveying the local real estate landscape, which Swanson was doing Wednesday during a visit to Janesville.

"This is a beautiful city that's well planned out," said Swanson, who will move to Janesville with her husband, John, and a 16-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter. A 21-year-old son is wrapping up a political science degree in Ohio and will likely move on to graduate school.

"The city is well planned, and we're outdoors people, so we love the greenbelts, parks and bike trails," she said. "Everyone we've met here has been so nice."

St. Mary's Janesville Hospital won't be the first Swanson has opened. In Alliance, she was integral in the planning and opening of a new facility. She also has extensive experience in physician relations, quality improvement, patient and employee satisfaction and operations, SSM officials said.

"We wanted to find someone with the experience in helping plan and open a new hospital as well as someone who would be a great fit with the Janesville community," said Mary Starmann-Harrison, regional president and CEO of SSM Health Care of Wisconsin. "After an extensive nationwide candidate search, we've found that person in Kerry Swanson."

Swanson began her career as a staff nurse and has since served in leadership positions at Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio, and as chief nursing officer/chief operating officer at Alliance Community Hospital.

She earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Malone College in Canton, Ohio, and this fall will complete a master's degree in health administration from Warren National University in Cheyenne, Wyo.

"I spent 12 years in nursing, so I've had the full view of what patient care is all about," Swanson said. "This is a great opportunity for me and my family, and it helps coming in to know that the community is very supportive of this project."

SSM and Dean officials broke ground Monday for the facility, which is scheduled to open in late 2010.