ST. CROIX — Douglas Koch, who was raised on a 5th generation family farm in central South Dakota and has a deep commitment to his family, community, and Catholic faith, has resigned as CEO of the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center after two and a half years to return to the Midwest to be closer to family, the hospital announced today.
The news of Koch’s resignation came two days after the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority’s board of directors announced on Monday that Andrew Smith will serve his last day as executive director and CEO of WAPA on June 30 after submitting his letter of resignation.
Koch, a health care leader who joined JFL in December 2021 with more than 20 years of proven expertise in building exceptional and high performing teams, is fully committed to ensuring a smooth and successful transition of hospital leadership over the next few months, according to a JFL press release.
As the hospital’s search for a new permanent replacement begins, an interim CEO will be named to work alongside Koch before he departs later this summer, according to Chris Finch, chair of the JFL board and territorial hospital board.
“We are very disappointed to get this news,” Finch said in a statement. “We have looked forward to working with Doug Koch for years to come as we stabilize and expand services and build and open a new JFLH. CEO Koch recently received a stellar personnel evaluation from board members.”
Under Koch’s leadership, Finch said most hospital operations were successfully moved into JFL North. He said the hospital was able to hire permanent nurses, thus greatly reducing its dependence on temporary travel agency staffing. He said Koch has been building an excellent leadership and hospital team.
“As board and leadership, we have been looking forward to continued recruitment of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and staff for all positions that are underway,” Finch said. “This work will continue, and we will continue the plans he has for expanded services. I will personally miss the strong working relationship I have with Doug. We understand his personal reasons for leaving, and we all wish him well.”
Senator Kenneth Gittens, Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human Services vice chair, said in a text message that he supported Koch and his efforts at JFL.
“I am sorry to see him go, particularly as stability is critical while we work to build our new facility,” he wrote. “Despite the many problems with our health care system, Mr. Koch was a responsive and hardworking CEO. I wish Mr. Koch and his family well.”
Gittens added that he hopes the hospital’s board will immediately begin searching for a new CEO with a focus on bringing a qualified Virgin Islander back home to fill the position.
“I feel similarly about WAPA’s leadership and believe there are Virgin Islands professionals stateside ready to take on these important roles,” he wrote.
Koch, with a deep sense of gratitude, personally thanked Governor Albert Bryan Jr., the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, the hospital’s board of directors, the Territorial Hospital Redevelopment Team, the JFL medical staff, and every extraordinary JFL employee. The JFL team wished Koch all the best in his future endeavors and thanked him for his valuable contributions to the hospital.
Prior to joining the hospital on St. Croix, Koch served as vice president of operations for Monument Health, a health system in western South Dakota comprised of five hospitals and 38 medical clinics and specialty centers that is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, according to JFL. Koch was a catalyst at Monument Health for program growth and expansion, physician recruitment, leading-edge process implementations and state-of-the-art program innovations to provide world-class capabilities to the underserved patient population.
The hospital executive started his career as a radiologic technologist before becoming a registered nurse. Koch has worked as a trauma nurse and interventional technologist and held many different leadership positions throughout his health care tenure. He has served a vast array of communities from rural to metropolitan and has worked in almost all sectors of health care including nonprofit, for-profit, critical access and safety net facilities.
When not involved with work, Koch enjoys all outdoor activities, traveling and spending time with his wife, Mary Lynn. They have four grown daughters — Jenna, Kassidy, Hannah, and Cameryn.
