Arts & Entertainment
Palos Heights, IL Hospital Names Kate Matousek New President
Palos Heights, IL – Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital has a new president, with longtime healthcare executive and nurse leader Kate Matousek selected to oversee the hospital serving Chicago's south
By Blake Harrison · 2026-09-25T12:37:46.361Z
Palos Heights, IL – Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital has a new president, with longtime healthcare executive and nurse leader Kate Matousek selected to oversee the hospital serving Chicago's southwest suburbs.
According to Northwestern Medicine, Matousek, MS, BSN, RN, will oversee hospital operations, quality performance and strategic growth initiatives at the Palos Heights facility.
Matousek brings 12 years of progressive healthcare leadership experience, including six years in vice president positions. She first joined Northwestern Medicine in 2014 and previously served as vice president of operations at both Palos Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital.
Her responsibilities have included surgery, endoscopy, imaging, stroke care and support services. She also worked on the expansion of the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute in Chicago's western suburbs.
Matousek's connection to Northwestern Medicine stretches back to childhood. Her parents met while working in the pharmacy at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where Matousek was later born.
Her path into healthcare, however, wasn't initially planned. Matousek studied finance at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign before a family medical emergency inspired her to pursue nursing.
She later earned a nursing degree from the University of Illinois Chicago and began working as a critical care nurse at New York University Medical Center. She also earned a master's degree in nursing education.
Matousek succeeds Mike Vivoda , who had served as Palos Hospital president since 2018.
The hospital also announced a separate leadership change, naming Robyn Harvey, MBA, BSN, RN, vice president and chief nurse executive for Palos Hospital.