Following a nationwide search for an exemplary leader, Karl Keeler has been appointed chief executive of Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.

Karl comes to Providence from Central Iowa, where he served most recently as president of MercyOne Central Iowa Region, a joint operation of Common Spirit Health and Trinity Health, whichowns and manages 43 hospitals with a total of 20,000 employees.

Karl has been a part of faith-based health care since 2004, and says he’s humbled to be part of a ministry that is so deeply rooted in its mission and values. The Providence Promise aligns with his personal mission of doing the right thing by being present and listening to understand. “That’s how you build trust,” says Karl, “and that’s a priority for me.”

Karl’s 30-year health care career began as an emergency medical technician in an after-hours clinic in Utah. “I wanted to be a doctor, but wanted to experience what it was like on the hospital side of health care first,” he recalls. This early experience influenced Karl’s career path in operations as he moved on to hold positions in business development, physician partnerships and service line administrative management in several states, including Colorado, Missouri and Idaho.

While these career opportunities honed Karl’s aptitude for hospital operations and strategic planning, his personal mission of always doing the right thing never wavered. And as a hospital administrator, his guiding principle is always front and center. “When we’re treating patients, we need to care for them like they’re a much-loved member of our family. I call it the mother principle, caring for people the way you would care for someone you love.”