Kim Gochanour

Kim Gochanour has been a leader in the healthcare industry for over 20 years. Kim is currently the Prairie Ridge Executive Director at Oakwood Lutheran Homes Association, where they have been since November 2020. Prior to that, they were the Senior Director Regional Operations at North Central Health Care from November 2015 to November 2020. In that role, they were responsible for directing the overall development of mission, values, strategic direction, operations, employee performance, and quality care for a multi-building 360-bed campus, as well as an aquatic facility and all-ages mental health and recovery program. Kim also led definition and implementation of policies continuously focused on improving the patient, resident, family, and employee experience, ensuring proper alignment of staffing to patient needs. Kim oversaw 550 employees across two facilities, serving as steward and administrator of a $50M combined annual budget.

During their time at North Central Health Care, Kim transformed the region’s operations in numerous measurable ways, from implementing new technology, payroll and ordering systems, to reducing vacancy rates and improving resident retention rate; decreased nurse’s aide turnover. Kim also identified the need to rightsize the campus facilities due to changes in the long-term care market, reducing bed capacity, and improving facility funding to address resident care program needs. In addition, they enhanced the current Infection Control Program to meet current JCAHO and federal and state regulations for long term care. Kim was also a contributing member of a Task Force on the development of the NCHC Master Facility plan for a $76M renovation, new aquatic pool, and a 96-bed nursing home tower. Kim led the successful opening of the new aquatic center (April 2020), recruiting staff and ensuring quality and effective programming for the community aquatic program. In response to COVID-19, they were named Incident Commander and led strategic planning and response plan; have completed the first part of FEMA Certification (in progress).

Kim Gochanour earned their Master of Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University. Kim also has a Bachelor of Science from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in Health/Health Care Administration/Management. Kim is certified from LinkedIn in Body Language and Women at Work.

Their manager is Reg Theirlop, CEO. Some of their coworkers include Angela Studnicka - Director of Pharmacy, Jeff Hackel - Chief People Officer, and Barbara Gilson - Executive Assistant to the CEO.