KANSAS CITY, Mo.– Paul Kempinski, MS, FACHE, President & CEO of Children’s Mercy Kansas City, announced today his plans to retire after more than four decades in healthcare leadership. During Kempinski’s tenure, Children’s Mercy has seen tremendous growth, including launching Illuminate, its visionary program to address the children’s mental health crisis, opening the Children’s Mercy Research Institute, achieving financial strength as an organization, expanding Children’s Mercy’s regional growth, and receiving national recognition from U.S News & World Report for nine of our specialties ranking among the top programs in the United States in 2023, all while guiding the organization through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We thank Paul for his dedicated leadership as our CEO over the last six years,” said Bill Krueger, Chairman of the Board, Children’s Mercy. “Under Paul’s leadership, our central focus on providing world-class care to children has remained steadfast. Paul led our organization through the pandemic, launched the Berry Institute with a vision of developing high performing leaders from within Children’s Mercy and advanced our research strategy. He pushed our organization to new heights and maintained an unwavering focus on providing extraordinary care to every child we serve. We are grateful for the indelible impact Paul made on Children’s Mercy.”
The Board has engaged WittKieffer, a national executive search firm, and has begun the search for a new President & CEO. The search process will include engagement from clinical, research, academic, and philanthropic partners, and community stakeholders.
Kempinski has been actively engaged in the community at local, regional, and national levels. He serves on the board of trustees of the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) and chairs the association’s Quality Committee. He also serves on the board of the Missouri Hospital Association, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Civic Council, KC Common Good, and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Kansas City.
“We are grateful for Paul’s leadership of Children’s Mercy for the last six years,” said Kent Sunderland, Chairman, The Sunderland Foundation. “Our Kansas City region is experiencing significant growth and revitalization. The future of Kansas City is dependent on the health and vitality of our children. We are blessed to have Children’s Mercy in our backyard, providing unparalleled care to our most precious asset, the next generation. I am grateful to Paul for the many successes Children’s Mercy has seen during his tenure.”
“At Children’s Mercy, I am surrounded by excellent clinicians and researchers,” said Bradley Warady, MD, Pediatric Nephrology Division Director. “Paul has provided unwavering support for the Children’s Mercy team as we work to fulfill our mission of providing dedicated, holistic care to every child, and as we continue our focus on breakthrough translational research, innovation and educating the next generation of caregivers.”
“Paul is a fierce advocate for the important role of children’s hospitals across the country,” said Jeff Sperring, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Children’s and Board Chair of the Children’s Hospital Association. “His active engagement and leadership on the CHA Board of Trustees has been instrumental in the progress we have made in being champions for children’s health across the country.”
Kempinski will continue as CEO until the naming and onboarding of the next CEO and will ensure a smooth transition of duties. During his remaining tenure, he will continue to spearhead Children’s Mercy’s major strategic initiatives.
“It has been an honor to serve as President & CEO of one of the finest children’s health systems in the country. This place is enormously special and a wonderful community asset,” said Kempinski. “My greatest joy over the last six years has been witnessing the amazing work of 8,000 extraordinary Children’s Mercy team members. That joy has come from moments like greetings in the hallways, chatting with our dedicated volunteers, or being in an operating room as miracles are worked on the tiniest of hearts. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to improving the health of children and staying actively engaged in the Kansas City community. This is the perfect time to hand the baton to the next CEO to lead the next phase of growth at Children’s Mercy.”
