Who's Who in Health Care: Paul Pawlak, President and CEO, Silver Cross Hospital, New Lenox

Paul Pawlak has served as president and CEO for Silver Cross Hospital since 1990. As the hospital's longest serving CEO, he led Silver Cross to be recognized nationally for outstanding customer service, effective cost management, and superior clinical quality winning the prestigious 100 Top Hospitals National Award for seven consecutive years. Never satisfied with the status quo, Pawlak consistently challenges staff to improve the hospital's performance.

Pawlak has overseen the health system's expansion to nine ambulatory care centers through Will, Grundy and Cook counties as well as over $800 million in new services and facilities including a 153 acre medical campus with a 296-bed, $365 million replacement hospital which opened on Feb. 26, 2012 at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox. He is also responsible for bringing the Veteran's Administration Community Outpatient Clinic and a Federally Qualified Health Center to the Joliet campus.

Under his direction, Silver Cross formed partnerships with world-renowned academic medical facilities and organizations including Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern Medicine Neurosciences, and Advocate Physician Partners-the largest ACO in the country.

He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and received his master's degree in hospital and health administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received an honorary doctoral degree in humanities from Lewis University in Romeoville.