St. Mary’s Medical Center in Blue Springs has a new chief executive officer.
Annette Small, who had been interim CEO since July, has been given the job permanently, the hospital announced Thursday.
Small, a registered nurse, joined the hospital in 2000, then moved into administration in 2006 as an administrative projects specialist and then, in 2007, became director of clinical operations. She was named acting CEO this summer when Robin Schluter left the hospital.
In a recent interview with The Examiner, she said patient care is “a passion of mine” and said she had been well received by the medical staff and others since taking the interim position.
“I understand the clinical components when physicians come to me with suggestions or concerns,” she said. “I’m well versed and aware of what they’re talking about. I’ve had physicians comment to me that “it’s so great that you know what I’m talking about, and I don’t have to describe to you what I’m talking about because you already know.’”
She was unavailable for comment Thursday. Small and her husband have three small children and live in Lee’s Summit.
St. Mary’s, 201 West R.D. Mize Road, is owned by the Carondelet Health System, based in St. Louis. Carondelet is part of Ascension Health. St. Mary’s is a sister hospital of St. Joseph Medical Center in Kansas City.
