Holzer Leader Announces Retirement

They say when one door closes, another door opens.  And for one local Holzer leader, that door is an opportunity for more time with grandchildren, ski trips and golf.    After thirty-five years of dedication and service to Holzer Health System, John Cunningham, MS, MBA, FACMPE, recently announced his retirement as Executive Vice President.

“The time has come, and I am looking forward to it.  I plan to enjoy a lot of family time, especially with my wonderful grandchildren. My wife, Terri, and I enjoy traveling, playing golf, swimming, and spending time at our cabin in Snowshoe. I plan to enjoy every minute of my retirement with family and friends.”

Many in the community have come to associate Cunningham with his work at Holzer.  But what some may not know is the many roles he has played within the organization since his career began at Holzer Clinic in 1986 as an Exercise Physiologist.  He proceeded to work in a variety of roles for Holzer, including: Cardiac Rehab, Sycamore Clinic Site Manager, Clinic Therapy Program Administrator, (responsible for initiating the service), Clinic Rehab Administrator and Chief Operating Officer for Holzer Clinic in 2008. During the merger of Holzer Clinic and Holzer Consolidated Health Systems in 2012, Mr. Cunningham moved into the Chief Administrative Officer position for the newly formed System. Since becoming the CAO, he has also served as the System Chief Operating Officer and his current role of Executive Vice President Population Health Management.

“I am proud of the relationships I have built over the years through my career at Holzer,” shared Mr. Cunningham. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of the employees. They are truly a family dedicated to our patients and communities.”

Cunningham has served as an integral part of many patient care projects. Those that he remarked upon include establishing the merger between the Clinic and Hospital entities, creating the Therapy and Rehabilitation programs at Holzer Clinic, being a part of the Holzer Therapy and Wellness Center in downtown Gallipolis, and forming the Population Health Initiatives for the system. “These projects have been crucial to offering quality health services for our communities,” shared Mr. Cunningham. “With the establishment of the Population Health Initiatives, we have created prevention and standards for overall good health. These standards are important for early detection of disease and arming our patients with the ability to maintain the best health possible. All these projects have provided me, and our health system, with an opportunity to better serve our friends and family members. I am proud to have contributed to these efforts.”

Prior to joining Holzer, Mr. Cunningham was a graduate of Gallia Academy High School and completed an undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University in microbiology. He spent 10 years in the public health sector, working as the Gallia County Sanitarian, District Sanitarian for Ohio Department of Health, and an Environmental Scientist at the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus. Following those positions, he returned to the classroom to complete his Masters in Exercise Physiology from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. Upon graduation of his Master’s degree, he began his career with Holzer.

Holzer is honored to have been a part of John Cunningham’s journey – he is to be celebrated and congratulated for his years of dedication to Holzer Health System!