Patient stories fuel the work of board member Kevin Flanagan

03/23/22 06:37:pm

One of Kevin Flanagan’s favorite parts of serving on the Rogers Behavioral Health System Board of Directors is hearing patient testimonials.

“They really hit home and remind all of us of the importance of what Rogers does,” Kevin says.

An Oconomowoc resident for 25 years, Kevin had been aware of Rogers and what he describes as its sterling reputation. He decided to join the Board in 2016 after getting introduced to President and CEO Pat Hammer through a mutual connection.

“I’ve served on a number of not-for-profit boards in Waukesha County, and thought it was a fascinating and flattering offer to join the Rogers Board,” Kevin explains. “Behavioral health is a critical issue in today’s world, and I thought, given my business background, I could provide some value.”

Kevin sits on three committees: Audit and Compliance, Finance and Investment, and Governance and Nominating. He says the biggest topics the Board focuses on are enhancing patient care and replicating Rogers’ success across the country.

It’s the Board’s role to determine, from a financial and business standpoint, the appropriate level of governance to bring to management, he explains.

“I take the governance function very seriously, and I ask a lot of questions in the spirit of trying to make comprehensive decisions,” Kevin says. “I’ve met some really interesting people both at the board level and at Rogers so it’s been a very enjoyable experience.”

Kevin is also particularly enthused about Rogers’ ongoing growth and its advancements in research.

“Given the proprietary information Rogers collects with patients’ permission, mining that data to help predict behaviors or improve services is very exciting,” he says. “That information and how it’s used truly differentiates Rogers in the behavioral health market. I am delighted that Rogers was able to fund that initiative and hire a quality team.”

Kevin’s areas of expertise

Significant shareholder value creation and realization
Operational and financial turnarounds of public and private distressed organizations
Acquisitions and dispositions
Executive team leadership, building, and motivation
International business

Get to know Kevin

Kevin is a retired president and CEO who specialized in infusing new leadership, strategic plans, and performance in stressed and underperforming companies. His other board involvement includes previously serving as director and president at Tall Pines Conversancy and as a trustee for University Lake School.

Kevin and his wife, Jeanne, have three children and three grandchildren. Their daughter, Megan, works at Target Corporate in Minneapolis, while son Sam just graduated from the University of Tennessee and son Max is in his final semester at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Both have a strong desire to join the medical profession.

In his spare time, Kevin enjoys listening to music, playing golf, reading, and spending time with family, including at a vacation home in Naples, Florida.

Kevin also makes sure to stop and look at the bright side.

“I enjoy laughing,” he says. “I like to keep things light, especially in the corporate environment. It’s serious work at Rogers, but at the same time we have to have a few laughs.”