DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - HSHS St. Mary's Hospital has announced its new president and CEO. 

Theresa Rutherford will start work in this executive position on Jan. 3, 2021. She is coming to St. Mary's from HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham, where she had been president and CEO since 2013. 

Before becoming a top official at St. Anthony's, Rutherford had been at St. Mary's Hospital as chief operating officer (COO) from 2006 to 2013. In that time, she was in a dual role as chief nursing executive until the hospital hired a new chief nursing officer. 

Going back even further with Rutherford's St. Mary's history, she started her career at the Decatur hospital in 1979 as an LPN. She then took on roles at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Galesburg Cottage Hospital in Galesburg, and The Finley Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa, before coming back to the HSHS system. 

“I will miss our team at St. Anthony’s dearly and I am so proud of the work we have done together there, but I am very excited to work again with the many dedicated colleagues, physicians and board of directors at St. Mary’s Hospital,” said Rutherford. “I am so grateful for this new opportunity to serve as the leader at St. Mary’s and will continue to build on the great work already in progress.”

Rutherford is originally from Coffeyville, Kan. She has an undergraduate degree in nursing from Millikin University, a master of science in nursing administration and a master of business administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Rutherford is also a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. 

Rutherford is replacing current HSHS St. Mary's president and CEO Michael Hicks, who has accepted a new job outside of the hospital industry. 

"We want to thank Mike for his service to our colleagues and patients at St. Mary’s and wish him well in his future endeavors,"  a press release said. "While a nationwide search is conducted for a new president and CEO at St. Anthony’s, Mike Janis, currently the executive director of outpatient and ancillary services, will serve as the interim president and CEO."