BGH celebrates 75 years serving the community
By Jillian Chandler
John Hennessy took on the role of CEO of Bonner General Health (BGH) in December of 2023. He is a graduate of Gonzaga University, where he received a degree in finance, and Washington State University, where he received his master of health policy and administration. After receiving his MHPA, he spent 12 years in hospital chief financial roles and was CFO of BGH from 2014 until late 2019. At that time, John moved to Virginia and was the finance executive for a large hospital. In late 2021, he returned to BGH in the CFO role and was in that role until December 2023, when he transitioned to the CEO position. Q. You served as Bonner General Health’s CFO for seven years prior to taking the position of CEO late last year. What does this position entail, and what is your goal/mission as CEO / what do you hope to accomplish? A. The CEO position is responsible for the direction of the hospital and ensuring the hospital maintains quality care, meets its goals and remains financially viable. My goal in this role is to create an environment that operates efficiently, offers high-quality patient care, and benefits the community. Q. Sheryl Rickard served as CEO for 19 years. How are you continuing the legacy she built during her tenure? A. Sheryl has been my greatest mentor for the past 10 years. While she was CEO for 19 years at BGH, in total she worked in administration here for 37 years. With her leadership, dedication, compassion to staff and patients, and forward thinking, she positioned the hospital for continued success going forward. Sheryl committed her entire career to improving health care in Bonner County which is the legacy of hers I hope to continue. Q. 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of Bonner General Health. What does this milestone mean to you and the BGH family? A. For 75 years, Bonner General Health has been a cornerstone of Bonner County, and it takes a lot to mean that much for a community. Our hospital campus has grown and changed over the years, but our commitment of providing high-quality health care to our community remains steadfast. This is truly a testament to our physicians, employees, board of directors and volunteers over the past 75 years that have made it their mission to provide excellent health care close to home. Our hospital is honored that we have been able to serve this wonderful community for so many years. Q. How has Bonner General Health grown / expanded over the years, and what are the range of services BGH can provide the community today? A. The hospital has grown and evolved significantly over the past 75 years, as can be imagined. Even going back 25 years, at that time, nearly 75 percent of our business was done on the inpatient side. In the simplest terms, these are patients admitted to the hospital to stay overnight, whether briefly or for an extended period of time. Fast forward to today, and nearly 90 percent of our business is done on the outpatient side, in which the service or treatment doesn’t require hospitalization. With this shift over the years from inpatient care to outpatient care, the hospital has expanded its outpatient offerings significantly and now operates a vast array of clinics including orthopedics, immediate care, family practice, internal medicine, ophthalmology, women’s health, and behavioral health. Today BGH has 454 employees. Q. What is most rewarding to you about the work you do? A. The greatest reward of this position, and really working in rural health care, is the opportunity to improve the lives of family, friends and neighbors. Being able to make a positive impact on the people I interact with on a regular basis is something that is very rewarding. Having the opportunity to hear from community members regularly about how the hospital had a positive impact on their life brings great joy. Q. In addition to your role as CEO, what other organizations are you involved with / support / give back to? A. Currently I sit on the board of directors for Yellowstone Insurance Exchange, Idaho Hospital Association Healthcare Business Ventures, and the Northwest Hospital Alliance. In addition to board roles, I also volunteer at local events and fundraisers that benefit the Bonner County community. Q. What do you enjoy most about being a part of the local community / business community? A. What I enjoy most is the amazing people. I honestly believe there is no better community than what we have here. The people and businesses are all very supportive of one another and are always giving back through various means, whether it be donating their time or through financial means. Q. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers not mentioned above? A. On behalf of all those who have served at Bonner General Health, past and present, we are very appreciative and thankful for our community's support of our hometown hospital for these past 75 years. We are so grateful for the trust our community places with us, and we look forward to continuing to deliver on our promise to be our community's best partner in health for decades to come. Thank you! John invites the community to join in the celebration as BGH celebrates its 75th anniversary from 4 to 8pm on July 12 at the Health Services Building Parking Lot. Free for the community to attend, you can find out more about the event on page 40.
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