LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
After 11 years as President and CEO of Horizon Health, Ollie Smith plans to retire to his family’s farm in rural Hume on Dec. 31, 2024. The announcement was made via press release on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 10.
During his decade of leadership, the company has rebranded, expanded and received national recognition for its growth and service.
Smith’s career at Horizon Health spans nearly 40 years. His first role with the company, then known as Paris Community Hospital, was as a hospital pharmacist. In 2014, he stepped into the position of President and CEO.
“I have been at Horizon Health the bulk of my professional life and have enjoyed it very much. It’s home to me. I’ll miss the people the most,” Smith said.
In 2018, four years into his tenure as President and CEO, the hospital rebranded to form Horizon Health.
Under his management, Horizon Health transformed and grew from a small, rural hospital into a "mini health system," adding 11 physical locations for new or expanded services. In Illinois, locations were added in Paris, Oakland and Marshall. Horizon Health also established its presence in Indiana with Sycamore Pain & Wellness and Terre Haute Specialty Clinics.
Passionate about the expansion of services, Smith was at the forefront of attracting new medical talent to Edgar County. He recruited numerous providers in family medicine, behavioral health and specialty services. He also grew the organization’s full-time specialty services and guided major technology upgrades, including next-generation radiology services.
Major services added to Horizon Health during Smith’s tenure included behavioral health, cardiology, orthopedics/spine, urology, general surgery, bariatric surgery and gynecology/urogynecology. Completed building projects included the EZ Care/North American Lighting (NAL) Health Clinic, Paris Clinic expansion, Rehabilitation Services building, Life Center, Dialysis Center and Home Care.
Smith credits Horizon Health’s explosive growth to the group of dedicated professionals who work behind the scenes.
“(It) has been a group effort involving talented people who have the imagination and ingenuity to accomplish things,” Smith said. “It’s been a successful journey, but it wasn’t all me by any means… It’s a community effort and I consider this my community.”
Smith said the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), performed every three years, has been another driving force behind Horizon Health’s success. The CHNA is a blueprint that identifies priorities and strategies for addressing important health needs in the community and includes input from many local individuals and organizations.
“The CHNA did more for guiding us to where we are today than anything I’ve been exposed to,” he explained. “It is always going to be there to guide us, and that’s a good thing.”
The community has responded in like manner to Smith’s dedication and innovative desires. In 2022, Smith was recognized as “Parisian of the Year” by the Paris Area Chamber of Commerce. In 2023, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN), a group of 59 rural hospitals dedicated to strengthening the operations of its members through collaboration.
“Ollie is a born leader and advocate for his community and hospital,” said Pat Schou, former ICAHN executive director. “He is what is best in rural health leadership and someone you would want to lead your team.”
According to Smith, the future of Horizon Health and Edgar County looks bright. As the organization has grown, it has demonstrated an ability to adapt to change. A good example is COVID, he said, which is “where I think we shined so much.”
“There’s still plenty of room for growth,” Smith said. “It is prioritizing and getting the most efficient growth we can. If we can do that, we will be around for a long time.”
Nolan Longest, chairman of Horizon Health’s board of directors, expressed his thanks for Smith’s dedication to his staff and his community.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Ollie (Smith) over the past several years and watch how our community health and organization has improved under his leadership,” Longest said. “The growth and the success of Horizon Health can be directly attributed to Ollie’s vision and his great partnership with the board of directors.”
To celebrate Smith’s upcoming retirement, Horizon Health is hosting a community celebration from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16. The free event is at Betty Jane’s Kitchen in Paris. All members of the community are invited to attend.