After 15 years of dedicated leadership and service to the kids of Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin announced today that president and chief executive officer Peggy Troy has informed the institution’s board of directors of her intention to retire by the end of December 2024. The board of directors has retained the services of a national search firm with expertise in health care and formed a search committee to identify Troy’s successor.
“On behalf of our entire board of directors, we are filled with gratitude for Peggy’s leadership of Children’s Wisconsin for the past 15 years,” said Patrick Hammes, chair of the Children’s Wisconsin board of directors and the search committee. “Her tenure has been nothing short of transformative for those we serve, and all who care about and advance our mission. On our Milwaukee Campus, in our clinics and throughout our community, Peggy’s commitment to putting kids first is evident in all we do. While filling her shoes will be no small task, we will do so with the clarity and confidence that Children’s Wisconsin is well positioned to continue making a difference in the lives of the kids and families we serve both now and well into the future.”
Starting her career as a pediatric nurse at Children’s Hospital in 1975, Troy’s professional journey came full circle in 2009 when she was appointed president and CEO of Children’s Wisconsin, the first woman to serve in this role. With a stated priority to bring care closer to home for Wisconsin’s kids, under Troy’s leadership, Children’s Wisconsin has grown its footprint to more than 50 locations throughout the state and better aligned its services to meet the unique needs of kids where they live, learn and play through initiatives such as community navigators, school nurses, dental clinics, foster care, child advocacy and injury prevention programs. Today, Children’s Wisconsin has 6.5 million touchpoints with kids and families every year.
During Troy’s tenure, the depth and breadth of Children’s Wisconsin’s clinical expertise has been widely recognized. Children’s Wisconsin was named one of the nation’s first Level I Children’s Surgery Centers, the highest level of distinction for hospitals that perform complex pediatric surgical procedures. Annually, many specialties are ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital also has been designated with Magnet Recognition Program status, an acknowledgement of sustained superiority in nursing care, four consecutive times. And with a dedicated, daily focus on a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and well-being, Children’s Wisconsin has been named a “Top Workplace” every year since 2010.
With innovation propelling new care models, in 2019, Children’s Wisconsin launched a 5-year, $150 million investment to address the mental and behavioral health challenges facing Wisconsin kids. Through the advent of walk-in mental health clinics to integrating mental wellness into daily pediatric and specialty care delivery, Children’s Wisconsin is meeting more kids where they are with the services they need. This emphasis on innovation also can be seen at the recently unveiled new Emergency Department and Level I Trauma Center at the Children’s Wisconsin Milwaukee hospital campus.
“It continues to be the honor of my lifetime to serve as president and CEO of Children’s Wisconsin,” said Troy. “Thanks to the compassion and expertise of our 6,000 plus medical providers and staff, and the dedication of our partners, benefactors and community leaders, we have made tremendous strides in driving innovation that cares for every aspect of kids’ total health — physical, mental, social and dental. Whether routine or the most complex, this work binds our current and future leaders to our vision of helping kids in Wisconsin become the healthiest in the nation. As the search begins for the next president and CEO, I remain as dedicated as ever to our mission. In addition, our team and I will work closely with our board and my successor to affect a smooth transition.”
The search for the next leader of Children’s Wisconsin will begin shortly following input from key stakeholders into the desired skills and attributes of the next president and CEO. The search will be national in scope and is expected to be complete in 2024.
