New CEO Chosen for Four K.C.-Area Hospitals

Prime Healthcare, the Ontario, Calif.-based owner of four area hospitals, has named Mark Benz, who has served as a hospital executive in Arizona the last two years, the area’s regional chief executive officer. He replaces Steve Wilkinson, who was in that role a little more than a year.

Benz oversees St. Joseph’s Medical Center, in Kansas City, Mo.; St. Mary’s Medical Center, in Blue Springs; Providence Medical Center, in Kansas City, Kan.; and Saint John Hospital, in Leavenworth. He was last Market CEO of Tenet Healthcare/Carondelet Health Network, in Tucson, where he was in charge of five hospitals/micro hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care centers and a 150-member physician practice. 

Along with its area facilities, Prime operates 45 hospitals in 14 states.