For Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD — Gordon T. Edwards will join Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) as its chief financial officer (CFO), beginning in that role Sept. 28.

“Gordon joins our very strong leadership team and brings a broad depth of knowledge and experience to help guide our organization in this quickly changing health care environment,” said Dr. Susan Turney, MCHS chief executive officer. “His skills will be invaluable as we continue to move forward at such a critical time in health care and for our system. We’re tasked to make critically important decisions for our patients and communities in light of our goal of reducing the overall cost of health care.”

Edwards will replace current CFO John Cook who, because of family commitments, will conclude his tenure in mid-September and return to Mercy Health System in Janesville.

“We are thankful for the strong leadership provided by John,” said MCHS Board of Directors Chairman Mark Bugher, “and welcome with high expectations Gordon Edwards as our new CFO. MCHS will not miss a beat with the addition of such an experienced and highly qualified member to the management team.”

“I’m excited to join the MCHS leadership team,” Edwards said. “Joining a system that is leveraging its outstanding and extensive medical practice, health plan, and other operations to transform care in Wisconsin is a privilege and honor. I look forward to working with the talented physicians and employees of MCHS to implement strategies to reduce the cost of care in the communities we serve. There’s risk with transformation, but this creates our sustainability for the next hundred years.”

Edwards has extensive health care finance experience and most recently has been system vice president finance & Columbia Network CFO at PeaceHealth, an integrated nonprofit health system in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington with total assets of $3 billion and annual operating revenue of $2.4 billion. Columbia Network represents $800 million in operating revenue.

Edwards is no stranger to Wisconsin, having served as CFO for Gundersen Lutheran Health System, La Crosse, a physician-led, integrated nonprofit health system in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa with a multispecialty physician network, hospitals, and health plan with commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid products.

He also held various executive roles for Legacy Health System, an integrated nonprofit health system in Oregon and Washington with five hospitals, multi-specialty physician network, research facility, and regional reference laboratory, and was a senior manager at KPMG and Arthur Andersen.

A certified public accountant, Edwards is a Fellow with Healthcare Finance Management Association (HFMA) and also a member of FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee and HFMA’s Principles & Practices Board.

Edwards earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington and master’s degree in business administration with a health care emphasis from Viterbo University, La Crosse.