New president takes the reins at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford

Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center has named a new president to succeed Paula Carynski, who retired earlier this year after 11 years leading the hospital.

Alec Grabowski took over the role on Tuesday. He’s responsible for directing all internal operations and enusring that high quality and cost-effective health care is delivered to patients, OSF said.

“I am very excited to have Alec join our team,” AJ Querciagrossa, OSF HealthCare’s Western Region CEO, said in a news release. “His impressive operations background and his down-to-earth personality have served him well in all the areas he has led previously. His servant-first approach will position him well in his new role. I am looking forward to him getting started and engaging our physicians, leaders, mission partners, and others within our communities.”

Grabowski has 15 years of health care career experience. He was most recently network CEO for a three-hospital system in metro Charlotte, North Carolina, including Lake Norman, Davis Regional Medical Center and Davis Psychiatric Hospital.

“I could not be more proud or more honored to join the OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center family,” Grabowski said in a statement. “I am excited about the future as I lead our care team members in providing excellent health care and offering a space where our patients feel valued and rely on us for all their health care needs.”

Grabowski earned his bachelor of business administration from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, and his master’s in health care administration and master’s in business administration from Georgia State University.

“I made the decision to join OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center as it not only is an excellent hospital; it is an excellent fit with my values,” he said. “Raised in a Catholic household this is an opportunity to represent an organization and ideal that holds deep personal meaning for me. I also look forward to the culture and heritage of the Rockford area as I share both Polish and Swedish roots with much of the region.”

Carynski had started with OSF in 1985 as a cardiac staff nurse. She had served as president since 2013.