Laura S. Kaiser joins Intermountain as Executive VP and COO

Laura S. Kaiser, FACHE, has been appointed to Intermountain Healthcare's Management Committee as executive vice president and chief operating officer. She is currently president and chief executive officer of Sacred Heart Health System based in Pensacola, Florida and Ministry Market Leader for the Gulf Coast/Florida region of Ascension Health, the nation's largest Catholic nonprofit healthcare organization.

Kaiser will oversee healthcare delivery at Intermountain, including services provided at 22 hospitals and more than 185 Medical Group clinics. She succeeds Joseph R. Horton, who retired at the end of December, and she will report to Charles W. Sorenson, MD, president and chief executive officer of Intermountain. Kaiser will assume her role at Intermountain in late March.

"Laura brings a wealth of experience as a healthcare executive," said Dr. Sorenson. "She has held leadership positions in a variety of settings including health systems, community hospitals, physician clinics and national consulting firms. Her background includes experience in clinical quality improvement and integration, physician engagement, strategy and operations, financial management, information technology and change management."

Dr. Sorenson added, "One theme that stands out in Laura's career is her strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values of the organizations she has worked for-missions that are similar to Intermountain's in many respects."

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Laura earned a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Healthcare Administration from Saint Louis University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Services Management from the University of Missouri. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has served on several boards, including those of the American Red Cross, Daughters of Charity Foundation, Florida Hospital Association and the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.​