Children’s Wisconsin has tapped Jonathan Brouk as its new president and chief operating officer for the system’s hospitals, putting an experienced pediatric operator in charge of day-to-day hospital performance. He will oversee inpatient and ambulatory operations across the Milwaukee and Fox Valley campuses and lead enterprise efforts to improve care delivery and operational efficiency. The move comes as the Wauwatosa-based system continues to expand specialty services and deepen partnerships across the state.
Official announcement and role
In a press release on Friday last week, Children's Wisconsin announced that Brouk will oversee the performance of the organization’s hospitals in Milwaukee and Neenah. He will also lead initiatives across the system focused on improving performance and redesigning care models. According to Gil Peri, the system’s president and CEO, Brouk’s experience is expected to contribute to the organization’s work for children in Wisconsin and beyond.
Background and experience
Brouk arrives in Milwaukee after serving as president of Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health in Baton Rouge and holding senior enterprise roles at LCMC Health’s Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans, according to FMOL Health. That release also notes he practiced as a corporate and regulatory health care attorney and earned a juris doctorate from Loyola University Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University, a combination that gives him legal as well as operational chops.
What he'll oversee in Wisconsin
In his new role, Brouk will be responsible for operations at the Children’s Wisconsin Milwaukee campus and the Fox Valley Hospital in Neenah. The Neenah hospital is the only hospital in northeast Wisconsin devoted exclusively to pediatric care, according to Children's Wisconsin. The system employs more than 6,500 people across its programs and services, BizTimes reported, as it continues to grow clinics and specialty offerings around the state. It is a sizeable operation for any executive to steer.
Why it matters
Regional business outlets and industry trackers quickly picked up the announcement, with the Milwaukee Business Journal publishing Jan. 19 coverage that summarized Brouk’s operational priorities. Local leaders say executives with Brouk’s blend of operational, clinical and legal experience are increasingly sought after as health systems try to strengthen access and control costs while growing specialty programs.
Brouk said he was honored to join Children’s Wisconsin and looks forward to partnering with teams and families, BizTimes reported. Stakeholders will now be watching how his focus on performance excellence shows up in real-world, patient-facing improvements across Milwaukee and the Fox Valley.
