Northwest Health appoints CEO for Bentonville hospital

Springdale-based health system Northwest Health announced the appointment Thursday (Sept. 27) of Steve Badger as the CEO of its Bentonville hospital, Northwest Medical Center – Bentonville. The hiring is effective immediately.

Badger replaces Harrison Kiser, who was the hospital’s chief operating officer. A Northwest Health spokesperson said Kiser accepted a job in Nashville, Tenn., to be closer to family.

Badger has more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience. He was most recently senior operations officer for Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, Utah. Prior to that, he was administrator of Orem Community Hospital in Orem, Utah.  Both are affiliated with Intermountain Healthcare. Other experiences within the Intermountain system include work as executive director of surgical services, department manager and charge nurse.

“Steve has a proven record for working closely with all stakeholders to improve customer experiences, physician relations and service lines.” Northwest Health Market CEO Denten Park said in a statement. “He has significant experience in driving quality results and growth for numerous services, including cardiac care, trauma and neurosurgery, all of which are growing service lines for Northwest Health. We welcome him to our outstanding team as we seek to continue to grow Northwest Health to exceed our community’s expectations.”

Badger earned both a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing and a bachelor of arts degree in International Relations with Magna Cum Laude honors from Brigham Young University.  He holds an MBA-Health Care emphasis, graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors, from University of Phoenix.

“I am beyond thrilled to be joining the Northwest Health team of committed caregivers,” Badger said. “My wife Cherice and our two youngest children, Austin and Ashlyn, have been impressed by the natural beauty of the area and the kindness of the people we have met. I am excited to join the efforts to enhance the services offered to our community, and to continue to strengthen and grow important service-lines on the Bentonville campus.”

Northwest Health is owned by Community Health Systems of Franklin, Tenn., and is one of the largest health networks in Northwest Arkansas with five hospitals: Northwest Medical Center – Bentonville, Northwest Medical Center – Springdale, Northwest Medical Center – Willow Creek Women’s Hospital, Siloam Springs Regional Hospital and Northwest Health Physicians’ Specialty Hospital. The system has 487 beds, a combined active medical staff of more than 540 physicians and 2,200 employees working together to provide quality healthcare for the region. Northwest Health is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a select group of independent health systems that work closely with Mayo Clinic to improve the delivery of health care and better serve their patients and their communities.

Northwest Medical Center – Bentonville, a 128-bed acute care facility, offers comprehensive cardiac care, including open heart surgery and cardiac catheterization. The hospital also has an 11-bed orthopedics and spine center on campus.