Children's Mercy Kansas City names Dr. Alejandro Quiroga as president and CEO
As president of Corewell Health West, Quiroga oversaw a $4.2B integrated health system of 10 hospitals.
Dr. Alejandro Quiroga is the new president and CEO of Children's Mercy Kansas City.
Photo: Courtesy Children's Mercy Kansas City
Children's Mercy Kansas City has announced the appointment of Dr. Alejandro Quiroga as president and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 2, 2025.
Quiroga comes to Children's Mercy from Corewell Health in Michigan, where he served as president of Corewell Health West.
He will replace current Children's Mercy president and CEO Paul Kempinski, who announced his retirement in May. Kempinski is staying through January 2025 to ensure a seamless transition.
"It has been an honor to serve as president & CEO of one of the finest children's health systems in the country," Kempinski said of the 127-year-old health system. "Dr. Quiroga is the right leader to take Children's Mercy into its next chapter of growth."
WHY THIS MATTERS
Quiroga was selected after a comprehensive nation-wide search, Children's Mercy said.
"I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Quiroga, a pediatric nephrologist and inspiring leader with a strong research mindset, as the new president and chief executive officer of Children's Mercy. We knew Dr. Quiroga was the ideal choice for Children's Mercy. He stood out for his impressive experience leading a successful, growing hospital system with a spirit of humility, optimism, innovation and a deep passion for caring for children." said Diane Gallagher, board chair of Children's Mercy.
Quiroga oversaw Corewell Health West, a $4.2 billion integrated health system which includes the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital and nine other hospitals. It also includes the largest teaching hospital for Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, according to Children's Mercy, having a combined medical staff of 4,000 providers, a 2,000-provider employed medical group, 38 medical residencies and fellowship programs and a program for adult heart and lung transplants, pediatric kidney transplants and bone marrow transplants.
Prior to his role as president, Quiroga held numerous leadership positions at Corewell Health, including chief medical officer for ambulatory and population health.
Quiroga received his Doctor of Medicine at Universidad Del Rosario in Bogota, Colombia. At Johns Hopkins Hospital, he completed a clinical clerkship in neurology and pediatric neurology, as well as a research clerkship in pediatric oncology.
"This is a dream come true! I am truly honored to join this amazing team at Children's Mercy," Quiroga said. "I have watched Children's Mercy from afar and have been inspired by the excellence in pediatric clinical care and groundbreaking research."
THE LARGER TREND
Kempinski will be retiring after more than four decades in healthcare leadership.
During his tenure, Children's Mercy launched Illuminate, a program to address the children's mental health crisis, opened the Children's Mercy Research Institute and guided the organization through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org
