MT. VERNON, IL – SSM Health in Illinois is excited to announce the addition of Dr. John Kohler to their executive leadership team.  Dr. Kohler replaces Dr. Corey Black as Regional Chief Medical Officer for the Southern Illinois region.

In this role, Dr. Kohler will be responsible for the overall direction and management of medical affairs for SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Mt. Vernon and SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Centralia.  He will provide oversight for patient safety, clinical quality, regulatory and patient experience programs and clinical initiatives in the region.

Dr. Kohler comes to SSM Health from Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina, where he served as Senior Medical Director for Quality.   He earned his Medical Degree from Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.  Dr. Kohler completed his residency in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk, Virginia and a fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.  He also received his MBA from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Dr. Kohler will be relocating with his family to the Mt. Vernon area and begins his journey with SSM Health in January.