Bob Sehring described himself as feeling simultaneously humbled and blessed, embarrassed and rewarded Thursday as colleagues and community leaders gathered to honor his tenure with OSF HealthCare.
“It’s been a great trip down memory lane, as so much of the last couple of months have been,” said Sehring, who will retire as CEO on April 3 after joining the organization in 2002 and taking on his leadership position in 2017.
“You begin to reflect as you get closer and closer to the date, and there’s been some absolutely wonderful things that have happened with OSF over these 24 years.”
Mayor Rita Ali, Bishop Louis Tylka and state Sen. Dave Koehler were among the many in attendance at Sehring’s retirement reception held at the OSF Cancer Institute in Peoria, a nearly $240 million facility that opened two years ago.
“There’s a lot of people that had a hand in this building, and I’m looking at a lot of them—many, many, very incredible philanthropic donors, and we appreciate it very, very much. I can promise you one thing: Without Bob Sehring, it would not have happened, there’s no question,” said Tom Hammerton, president of the OSF HealthCare Foundation.
Included among the proclamations and gifts presented to Sehring and his wife, Barb, was a monetary gift from the OSF Sisters and board members to enhance the couple’s planned Alaskan cruise.
During Sehring’s tenure, OSF HealthCare has grown from 11 hospitals to 17 and transitioned from a small healthcare system to a regional network with more than 27,000 partners.
“He’s always been committed to the mission of OSF and that means serving all of the communities we’ve been called to,” said OSF President Michelle Conger, who will take over as CEO following Sehring’s departure. “That’s just at his core, so it’s been fantastic to work with him.”
Sehring said he’s reassured in his belief that OSF will be in good hands under Conger’s leadership.
“I think this organization is extraordinarily well-positioned and Michelle Conger is very well-positioned herself,” he said. “She’s got the background and the experience and has been with OSF for over 30 years. And I think she’s the perfect person at this time to help continue to lead this organization forward.”
Sehring’s retirement marks the conclusion of a nearly half-century career in health care.
“I can look back over all of the 48 years and it’s just been a blessing to be part of OSF and to be able to help this organization continue to move forward,” he said.
“It’s also a blessing to hear that you have had an impact on so many people’s lives, and that’s really what we do in terms of a leadership role. It should be judged on the people that you have helped develop. And it’s been very rewarding, very gratifying to hear that from so many people.”
