St. Anthony's names Gardner new Chief Executive Officer

James E. Gardner Jr. appointed president and chief executive officer of St. Anthony's.

The Board of Directors of St. Anthony’s Medical Center has appointed James E. Gardner Jr. as president and chief executive officer of St. Anthony’s. Gardner succeeds Thomas H. Rockers, who will retire on March 28. Gardner will assume his new role April 16.

“We believe that Jim Gardner possesses the leadership skills, vision and experience to ensure that St. Anthony’s will continue to offer the highest level of care to the people in our community,” said David Sindelar, chairman of St. Anthony’s Board of Directors.

Gardner comes to St. Anthony’s with 28 years of experience in healthcare and hospital administration, most recently serving as president and chief executive officer at Northeast Georgia Health System, Inc., Gainesville, Ga. Gardner also has held chief executive officer positions at the Wyoming Medical Center, Casper, Wy., and for Christus Health, Inc., Irving, Tex.

Gardner holds a master’s degree in health administration from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Jim and his wife, Judy, have three sons and look forward to moving to St. Louis and becoming an integral part of St. Anthony’s and the community.

St. Anthony’s is the third-largest medical center in the St. Louis area. The 767-bed facility, a level-two trauma center, offers a broad continuum of health care services and operates four urgent care centers. In 2011, St. Anthony’s completed a $90 million hospital redesign and construction project that included a four-story addition, new surgery suites and same-day surgery rooms, a state-of-the-art interventional platform and heart hospital, a new surgical intensive care unit, a new ortho-spine center, and the construction of a separate Pediatric Emergency Department managed in partnership with Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. Additionally in 2011, St. Anthony’s earned the highest level of accreditation available as a Chest Pain Center, received recertification as a Primary Stroke Center and earned a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities.

“I look forward to building upon the solid accomplishments of St. Anthony’s Medical Center,” Gardner said. “It is clear to me that St. Anthony’s has a strong commitment to meeting the healthcare needs of its community.”

For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit find a physician online.

At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization
— and your first choice for health care services.

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St. Anthony's names Gardner new Chief Executive Officer