Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation operations director receives excellence award
From Illinois Business Journal news services
SAUGET – Kena Gray, operations director for Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation, has been honored by the St. Louis American Foundation for her commitment to care as one of seven recipients of the Salute to Excellence in Health Care Award, its annual recognition of outstanding professionals in the health-care field.
As operations director, Gray (left) oversees SIHF health-care centers in the Riverbend Area to ensure each runs efficiently and effectively. In addition, Gray serves as health center manager at Centreville Health Center in Centreville, having previously managed SIHF centers in Bethalto, Fairmont City and Washington Park. She has worked for SIHF since 2006.
Gray is focused on the principle of patient-centered medical homes which works to see that patients have ongoing partnerships with their providers to receive coordinated care and to empower them to take ownership of their health. In 2014, under Gray’s leadership, Bethalto Health Center received National Committee for Quality Assurance PCMH Level III Recognition, one of the few centers nationally to receive the accreditation.
In addition, Gray spearheaded the SIHF Manager Leadership Roundtable to direct training and educational opportunities for site managers at SIHF’s 29 centers as well as helped lead the organization’s Cultural Competency Initiative to embrace diversity among staff and patients.
Gray is on the board for the Illinois Center for Autism, and is a member of the St. Louis University School of Public Health Networking Council, the University of Illinois Black Alumni Council and Illini Union Alumni Society.
“Kena’s accomplishments over the past 10 years at SIHF have been nothing short of remarkable,” said Ben Ernst, chief operating officer for SIHF. “From coordinating dental student rotations through our partnership with the SIU School of Dental Medicine to increasing child abuse awareness in Madison County, the impact Kena has had on our patients and the communities they live in substantial. She is truly deserving of this honor from the Foundation.”
