Stormont Vail Health CEO Announces May 2025 Retirement

Robert Kenagy, M.D., a native Kansan and President and CEO of Stormont Vail Health since April 2019, announced his plans to retire from his leadership role in May 2025. Prior to leading the regional healthcare system, Dr. Kenagy served as Stormont Vail’s Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for three years.

The Stormont Vail Board of Directors has started a search process to identify Dr. Kenagy’s successor.

Under Dr. Kenagy’s leadership, the Topeka-based organization has had significant regional growth to ensure high quality care for patients and communities across eastern Kansas. This includes the opening of a state-of-the-art Manhattan primary and specialty care campus, and preventing the closure of a county hospital and rural health clinic in Junction City, that now operates on Stormont Vail’s Flint Hills Campus. Plans are underway to enhance clinic facilities in Emporia, where the organization has served patients for 30 years.

Dr. Kenagy also led the Stormont Vail team and communities it serves through the COVID-19 pandemic, providing insightful and innovative leadership, and timely and transparent communications across the system and to the community.

With the patient as the focus, Dr. Kenagy has been an advocate for high quality, safe care, and has worked toward solutions that increase access to health care to the whole community.

Dr. Kenagy is also a strong proponent of the power of a team, and has a goal of making Stormont Vail the best place to train, to work and to build a career. Among initiatives developed to support the Stormont Vail team, he has endorsed an expanded and subsidized day care and early childhood education for children of staff members; programs to encourage young people to consider health care careers; and educational opportunities for current team members to further their knowledge and health care careers.

Prior to joining Stormont Vail Health in 2016, Dr. Kenagy served as Senior Vice President at St. John Health Network in Tulsa, Okla. He also held several leadership positions at Via Christi Health in Wichita, including President and CEO of Via Christi Clinic and Senior Vice President of Physician Services.

Dr. Kenagy spent 22 years serving as a family medicine physician. He has a Master’s in Medical Management from Tulane University and received his medical training at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1987. Dr. Kenagy completed his Family Medicine Residency through the University of Kansas School of Medicine Wesley Medical Center.

Dr. Kenagy serves on the Stormont Vail Health Board of Directors, Stormont-Vail, Inc. Board, Christ’s Hospital Corporation Board, Kansas Hospital Association Board, GO Topeka Board of Directors, Topeka Community Foundation Board, and Wichita State University College of Health Professions Dean’s Advisory Council. He has been a longtime member of the American Association for Physician Leadership.