Centegra Health System

Michael S. Eesley, Chief Executive Officer

Michael S. Eesley is chief executive officer of Centegra Health System. He joined Centegra Health System in June of 1999 and fulfilled the role of chief operating officer until his appointment to CEO in February 2002. As CEO, he provides strategic leadership and vision to the health system and reports to the corporate governing board.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in hospital administration from Ferris State University in 1978 and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Detroit in 1984.

He is a corporate board member for Centegra Health System, a board member for the Illinois Hospital Association, a board member for the American Hospital Association Metropolitan Hospitals Governing Council, is chairman of Centegra Insurance and founder of Leadership Greater McHenry County.

He said he was led to Centegra Health System by the chance for his family to move back to the Midwest and be a part of a growing community and an evolving health system. He said that after meeting the corporate board members, Centegra associates, physicians and community members, he and his wife were sold and it was the best move he and his family could have made.

Jason Sciarro, President and Chief Operating Officer

Jason Sciarro is the president and chief operating officer for Centegra Health System. He joined the Centegra family in October 2005 as senior vice president for ambulatory services and was promoted to his current position in October 2006. In his current role, he is responsible for oversight of all health system operations.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Geneva College in 1992 and a Master of Business Administration from LeMoyne College in 2000. He is a member of the board of directors for Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois.

He said Centegra Health System is a dynamic, fast-paced community health system with the vision to become a regional destination for care, an industry employer of choice and national leader of patient satisfaction outcomes. He said those professional challenges, along with a great location and community in which to raise a family, made Centegra Health System the best decision he and his family have made both professionally and personally.

Susan Milford, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Development

Susan Milford is Centegra Health System’s senior vice president of strategy and development. She joined Centegra Health System in May of 2006. In her current role, she oversees marketing, sales, strategic planning and public relations, as well as the Centegra Health System Foundation.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and an Executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

She is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Greater McHenry County and serves as a community board member of the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of McHenry County.

She said she was drawn to Centegra Health System’s location in a growing suburban area of Chicago with exceptional marketing opportunities. She said Centegra’s leaders are authentic, passionate and the value-based culture is evident from the moment someone enters one of the facilities. Centegra’s strong community mission and impactful vision of excellence also was a key reason she wanted to join the team.

Neil Murphy, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer

Neil Murphy joined Centegra in 2011 as senior vice president and chief nursing officer. He has more than 20 years of nursing executive leadership experience and was the chief nursing executive for the Bon Secours De Paul Medical Center in Norfolk, Va.

In his role as the senior vice president and chief nursing officer, he is responsible for inpatient nursing, behavioral health services, emergency services, care management and performance improvement. His focus is integrating clinical best practice initiatives across the Centegra continuum of care. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Rush University and his Master of Hospital Administration from Governor State University.

He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, American Organization of Nurse Executives and the Illinois Organization of Nurse Leaders. He said he joined Centegra because of the clear commitment of the organization to its values, quality outcomes for patients and the vast amount of community outreach.

Aaron Shepley, Senior Vice President of Administrative Affairs, General Counsel

Aaron Shepley is the senior vice president of administrative affairs & general counsel for Centegra Health System. In his current role, he has the system-wide responsibility for corporate legal and risk departments, institutional review board and corporate captive insurance entity. He began with Centegra Health System as the vice president of quality resources in 2002. In 2003, he became the vice president and site administrator for South Street campus. He became the senior vice president and site administrator for the hospital in McHenry in 2005, and has held his current position as senior vice president since 2006.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Eastern Illinois University in 1985 and completed his Juris Doctorate at the University of Illinois College of Law in 1988.

He has served as the mayor of the city of Crystal Lake since 1999. He also is a board member for Leadership Greater McHenry County, a member of the Pace board of directors, a member of the board of directors of Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois, and an original member of the Lakeside Legacy Foundation.

He said what brought him to Centegra Health System was primarily the people. From front-line associates to Mike Eesley, he has never encountered a more compassionate group of people. Since arriving, all of his perceptions have been confirmed as he has watched the men and women of the organization live Centegra’s values and positively impact the members of the community every day.

David L. Tomlinson, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer

David Tomlinson is senior vice president and chief information officer for Centegra Health System. He began his tenure at Centegra Health System as an administrative fellow in June of 2006 and went on to become director of operations support and then vice president of clinical ancillary services. During the last four years, he served as vice president, operations and provided overall operational direction, strategy and support for Centegra’s surgical services, anesthesia, laboratory, pathology, pharmacy, emergency services, medical imaging, supply chain and materials management, biomedical engineering and patient support services. Today, he provides overall leadership and strategy for Centegra’s information technology and systems in his newest role of chief information officer.

He earned a Bachelor of General Studies and Management from Brigham Young University in 2003, a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Health Administration from Saint Louis University in 2006. He is board certified in healthcare management and is a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).

He is a board member for CASA McHenry County, a volunteer leader for the Boy Scouts of America and a graduate of Leadership Greater McHenry County. He is passionate about Centegra Health System’s mission, vision and values, as well as its servant leadership atmosphere and its long-standing commitment to the McHenry County area.

Bernadette Szczepanski, Vice President of Human Resources Development

Bernadette Szczepanski is vice president of human resources development. In her current role, she provides strategic human resource planning and development to foster an engaged workforce living out the mission, vision and values of the organization.

She joined Centegra Health System in June 2003 as director of human resources development. She earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Dayton and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. She is a board member of the McHenry County Workforce Investment Board and is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Greater McHenry County.

She said she was drawn to Centegra’s values and strong workplace culture, supported by a visionary leadership team.

Centegra Hospitals

Rachel L. Sebastian, Vice President and Site Administrator, Centegra Hospital-McHenry

Rachel L. Sebastian is vice president and site administrator for Centegra Hospital-McHenry. She joined Centegra in 2007 as the director of patient business services and Centegra management services. In her current role, she oversees the daily operations of the McHenry hospital, insuring the associates have consistent administrative support onsite to address problems and assure attainment of organizational goals.

She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Michigan University and a Master of Health Administration from St. Louis University.

She is a graduate of Leadership Greater McHenry County and serves on the board for Girls on the Run and McHenry Chamber of Commerce.

She was drawn to Centegra’s servant leader philosophy, core values and vision. She enjoys being part of a growing health system that pushes the envelope and is creative in the ways it exceeds the expectations of community members, associates and physicians.

Sheila Senn, Psy.D., Vice President and Site Administrator, Centegra Hospital-Woodstock

Dr. Sheila Senn is vice president and site administrator for Centegra Hospital-Woodstock. In her current role, she oversees the daily operations of the Woodstock hospitals, insuring the associates have consistent administrative support onsite to address problems and assure attainment of organizational goals.

She joined Centegra Health System in 1995 as a counselor on the adolescent psychiatric unit. In 1999, she completed her master’s degree. She completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. Upon completion of her doctorate, she accepted the role of manager of the Centegra Behavioral Health Central Intake Department, then moved into the role of director of behavioral health in 2009.

She was drawn to Centegra’s holistic view of patient health and the importance of treating the whole person. Additionally, she appreciates Centegra’s strong collaborative nature and fundamental belief that the best outcomes are only achieved through strong teamwork.

Kumar Nathan, MD, Vice President of Clinical Effectiveness

Dr. Kumar Nathan is vice president of clinical effectiveness for Centegra Health System. He joined Centegra in 2008 as a practicing hospitalist and as the director of the hospitalist service. In his vice president role, he has strategic and operational responsibility for performance improvement and care management, focusing on quality and patient safety for Centegra Health System.

He is board certified in internal medicine and received a Bachelor of Science in finance from the University of Illinois. He attended medical school at St. George’s University and completed his internship and residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.

Matthew Towler, Vice President of Support Services

Matthew Towler is vice president of support services for Centegra Health System. He joined Centegra in 2006 and has fulfilled the roles of director of plant operations, director of facilities and director of support services before being appointed to his current role. He now provides overall leadership and direction to the support service areas of Centegra Health System.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business from Lewis University and is currently enrolled in the Executive Master of Business Administration program at Lewis University. As part of his current role, he is chairman of the Centegra Health System Safety Committee. He also served in the United States Navy from 1991 until 2000.

He said he joined Centegra Health System to be part of the company’s culture and values. He is proud to be part of a team that creates growth opportunities for Centegra’s associates.

Centegra Physician Care

Pasquale Bernardi, MD, Vice President of Physician Services

Dr. Pasquale Bernardi is vice president of physician services. He joined Centegra in 2011 as the physician executive responsible for the overall clinical leadership of the employed physician team. He is a board certified pediatrician who attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh and completed his residency in pediatrics at the University of Virginia.

He was with Johns Hopkins Community Physicians in Baltimore since 1995 and served in numerous leadership positions during his tenure there, including co-regional medical director overseeing 12 practice sites and more than 90 physicians.

Dr. Bernardi said he joined Centegra because he strongly agrees with Centegra’s mission, vision and values. He also believes McHenry County is the ideal place to raise his family.

Michael Ford, Vice President of Operations Centegra Physician Care

Michael Ford joined Centegra in 2011 as the vice president of operations for Centegra Physician Care and oversees all its administrative operational activities.

In his role as vice president of Centegra Physician Care operations, he directs the development and management of day-to-day operations. He also is responsible for enhancing the performance of both clerical and clinical processes at Centegra Physician Care clinics. Previously, he served as director of medical group operations at a health system in Rockford, supporting 22 practice sites and more than 100 providers.

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in health care administration from Elmhurst College in 1986 and his Master of Business Administration from Roosevelt University in 1991. He is a board certified medical practice executive and a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Centegra Health Bridge Fitness Centers

Matt Carlen, Vice President of Health and Wellness

Matt Carlen is vice president of health and wellness for Centegra Health System. He joined Centegra in 2012 to lead the operations of both Centegra Health Bridge Fitness Centers, Centegra’s employee and corporate wellness programs and the Centegra Wellness Center at Del Webb in Huntley. In addition to these operations, he leads and collaborates across Centegra’s integrated delivery model to advance the integration of prevention and wellness into the ways Centegra cares for the community.

He earned two Bachelor of Science degrees from Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, one in recreation and fitness management and the other in health and physical education. He is currently pursuing his Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University.

He said he was drawn to Centegra’s leading-edge commitment to community wellness. He wanted to work with leaders and associates who are dedicated to getting community members well and keeping them well, and he felt an immediate connection to Centegra’s mission, vision and values.