HCA Midwest Health System—Kansas City’s largest healthcare network—announces that Corrine D. Everson, Lee’s Summit Medical Center; Christine Hamele, Overland Park Regional Medical Center; and Amy Leiker, Menorah Medical Center have been named vice presidents of business development and marketing.

Everson joined Lee’s Summit Medical Center as the vice president of business development and marketing. She is responsible for developing and implementing business initiatives and marketing strategies, building and maintaining relationships with physicians, and promoting the services offered by Lee’s Summit Medical Center, a dually accredited Chest Pain and Primary Stroke Center.

Everson comes to Lee’s Summit Medical Center as an accomplished healthcare executive with a proven 20-year record of leadership in local and regional healthcare communications, public relations and strategic communications. Most recently, Everson was executive director of corporate communications for a Wichita health system. Everson has been involved in non-profit organizations, including the American Heart Association (AHA) where she was instrumental in helping to raise more than $2.5 million during campaigns for four AHA Heart Balls and Go Red for Women events from 1999-2010. In addition, Everson was a board member of Cabot Westside Health Center, serving as chairperson for multiple campaigns raising more than $2 million from 2010 – 2011. She helped organize the March of Dimes inaugural Blue Jean Ball that raised more than $400,000 annually from 2007- 2010. A Lee’s Summit resident, Everson is also an active member of the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce.

“I am delighted to have a consummate marketing professional like Corrine join our leadership team,” says Jackie DeSouza, chief executive officer of Lee’s Summit Medical Center. “Her enthusiasm and passion for the hospital’s advanced technology and services and top physicians are assets to our continued growth. In addition, Corrine is an active and committed member of the community, and her knowledge of our hospital and this market are critical components for being an integral part of Lee’s Summit Medical Center’s continued success.”

Lee’s Summit Medical Center was recognized in the August 2011 issue of US News & World Report for its commitment and success in performance achievement in heart disease and stroke. Using evidence-based guidelines to provide the best possible care to patients through the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® program, the hospital was one of 789 other hospitals across the nation honored in the “America’s Best Hospitals” issue of US News & World Report to commemorate its receipt of the Get With The Guidelines Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award for stroke care.

Additionally, Lee’s Summit Medical Center was recognized on the Target: Stroke Honor Roll for exceptional stroke care in ensuring that within the past two quarters at least 50 percent of eligible ischemic stroke patients received the intravenous clot-buster, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) within 60 minutes of arriving at the hospital. Known as “door-to-needle” time, this guideline-based therapy can quickly restore blood flow to the brain and is key to limiting stroke damage.

“I look forward to helping Lee’s Summit Medical Center continue its excellent service to Lee’s Summit and the surrounding area,” says Everson. “The hospital is an exemplary organization that is expanding to better meet the needs of patients and families with progressive and innovative programs, including its stroke care. I am excited to be a part of that.”

Leiker has more than 15 years of marketing experience with 10 of those in healthcare and has served as the director of marketing and communications for Menorah Medical Center since 2008. In her new VP of business development and marketing position, Leiker is responsible for developing and implementing business initiatives and marketing strategies, building and maintaining relationships with physicians and promoting the services offered by Menorah Medical Center, a full-service, acute care hospital with a medical staff of more than 600 physicians covering the spectrum of specialties. Menorah is home to the region’s only CyberKnife and premier Sarcoma Institute, and also offers accredited cancer and breast centers.

In her role as director of marketing and communications for one of Johnson County's busiest hospitals, Leiker was part of the leadership team that launched Menorah's comprehensive cancer center, the da Vinci Robotic Surgery System and the physician-staffed Menorah Urgent Care. In addition, Leiker helped the community and the hospital and its staff celebrate Menorah's 80th birthday in 2011 through myriad events and is instrumental in the annual breast cancer and heart month community activities and health screenings that draw thousands to the hospital's campus.

Menorah Medical Center received a prestigious three-year/full accreditation designation by the National Accreditation program for Breast Centers and the Outstanding Achievement Award with the Commission on Cancer Accreditation, both from the American College of Surgeons.

“Amy’s extensive knowledge of healthcare, community involvement and enthusiasm and passion for promoting Menorah Medical Center and its cutting-edge services and top physicians to the community are assets to our continued growth,” says Steven D. Wilkinson, president and chief executive officer of Menorah. “I am confident she will remain an integral part of our hospital’s continued success.”

“I look forward to helping Menorah Medical Center continue its excellent service to Johnson County and the surrounding area,” says Leiker, who is an active board member of the Leawood Chamber of Commerce and SAFEHOME. “Menorah is a vital part of the community and offers progressive and innovative programs. I’m excited to help continue the many strengths of the hospital’s unique patient-centered approach.”

As vice president of business development and marketing, Hamele is responsible for developing and implementing business initiatives and marketing strategies, building and maintaining relationships with physicians, and promoting the services offered by Overland Park Regional Medical Center, a full-service, acute care hospital poised for an unprecedented $121 million expansion and extensive, unprecedented renovation, including a 72-private-bed tower.

Hamele comes to Overland Park Regional Medical Center as an accomplished healthcare executive with a proven 20-year record of leadership in local, regional and national healthcare communications, public relations, strategic communications and physician practice consulting. Most recently, Hamele was vice president and healthcare division leader at a nationally known communications firm. Hamele has won more than 25 healthcare marketing communications awards on behalf of her clients, and was honored by KC Business Magazine as an “Influential Woman” in 2011, and by the Kansas City Business Journal in 2002 as a “Woman Who Means Business.”

“I am delighted to have a consummate marketing professional like Christine join our leadership team,” says Damond Boatwright, chief executive officer of Overland Park Regional Medical Center. “Her enthusiasm and passion for the hospital’s advanced technology, and first-hand knowledge of the hospital’s Level II Trauma services and compassionate physicians and staff are assets to our continued growth. She has been an integral part of the Johnson County community her entire life, and her knowledge of our hospital and this market will be critical to the hospital during our expansion.”

“I look forward to helping Overland Park Regional Medical Center continue its excellent service to Johnson County and the surrounding area,” says Hamele. “The hospital is an exemplary organization that is expanding to better meet the needs of patients and families with progressive and innovative programs. I am excited to be a part of that.”

The expansion and renovation of Overland Park Regional Medical Center will add to the more than $720 million that HCA Midwest Health System has invested in enhancing and expanding patient services since April 2003. “We are proud to be the first acute care hospital in Johnson County to offer patients all private rooms,” says Hamele. “Upon completion of this expansion, local residents of Johnson and surrounding counties will have access to the most modern medical facility in the area. There’s no time like the present to be a part of something that will make a positive impact on my community.”

tags: leadership