Hospital CEO to join SOU Board of Trustees

NEWS RELEASE (available online at https://goo.gl/9LtvdF)
(Ashland, Ore.) — Sheila Clough, the chief executive officer of Asante Ashland Community Hospital, has been appointed by Gov. Kate Brown to fill the 15^th seat on the Southern Oregon University Board of Trustees and was confirmed today by the Oregon Senate.
Clough has served as CEO of the Ashland hospital for the past 3 ½ years and has held management positions in health care for 25 years. In seeking appointment to the SOU board, she cited the academic and economic benefits that the university provides.
“As a resident of Ashland and the CEO of a critical community service provider and prominent employer in the area, I have a vested interest in the long-term sustainability of SOU,” Clough said. “I am honored by my appointment to this volunteer board and look forward to supporting the strategies and vision that will ensure the university’s continued success.”
Clough joined Asante in September 2013 as CEO of Asante Ashland Community Hospital and led the hospital’s integration into the Asante system and its financial turnaround. The recovery plan she implemented resulted in an $8 million turnaround for the hospital from 2013 through 2016. Patient satisfaction at the hospital improved from the 50^th percentile in 2013 to better than the 80^th percentile in 2016, and the hospital’s employee engagement ranking went from the 7^th percentile to the 91^st percentile over the same period.
“The board welcomes Sheila Clough, whose accomplishments at Asante and leadership role in the community, we believe, are indicative of what she will bring to the table,” said Bill Thorndike, chair of the SOU Board of Trustees. “Sheila understands the complementary roles of a governing board and the executive team that operate an institution such as SOU. Her expertise in health care will broaden the board’s perspective and her business knowledge will be invaluable.”
Prior to joining Asante, Clough served in a progression of leadership roles from 1998 through 2013 with Ministry Howard Young Health Care in Woodruff, Wisconsin, eventually rising to the role of president and chief operating officer. Howard Young operated an acute care hospital, a critical access hospital and an assisted living facility.
Clough earned a bachelor’s degree in medical technology from the University of Minnesota and an MBA for health care executives from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives and in 2014 passed the organization’s board examination to be named a fellow of the college.
She is an active member of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Lithia Springs Rotary Club, and she has developed a new partnership with Ashland High School to focus students’ attention on the possibility of careers in health care.
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About Southern Oregon University
As a public liberal arts university, SOU focuses on student learning, accessibility and civic engagement that enriches both the community and bioregion. The university is recognized for fostering intellectual creativity, for quality and innovation in its connected learning programs, and for the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100% of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.