Raghu Adiga, MD, has been named by the Liberty Hospital Board of Trustees to serve as interim president and chief executive officer following the recent retirement by long-time hospital President and CEO David Feess.
Dr. Adiga will assume the role on July 11 while a search by the hospital is under way for a new chief executive.
Dr. Adiga has served as chief medical officer at Liberty Hospital since 2018. As one of the region’s leading infectious disease specialists, he was praised for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic for providing valuable expertise and guidance to the hospital and numerous Northland organizations.
For his work during the pandemic, Dr. Adiga was awarded the prestigious William F. Yates Medallion for Distinguished Service from William Jewell College. In 2020 he was named as a Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the highest honor awarded to specialists in his field. Since 2021, Dr. Adiga has been recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal as one of the “20 Health Care Professionals to Know” and by Ingram’s magazine as a “Hero in Healthcare.”
“Dr. Adiga’s proven leadership and expertise position him well to serve as the interim president and chief executive officer” Dennis Carter, chairperson of the Liberty Hospital Board of Trustees, said. “Executive leadership, staff and physicians enjoy working with Dr. Adiga, and we appreciate his willingness to step into this role.”
Current CEO Davis Feess is retiring in July after 34 years at the hospital, including executive roles for more than a decade. During his tenure, Feess grew the health care system from a single hospital to a system that has 15 primary and specialty care clinics, as well as affiliations with MU Health Care, Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute and Children’s Mercy, according to a release.
“While David’s retirement is bittersweet, his guidance and leadership have positioned the organization well for the future, and for that we are truly grateful,” Carter said. “His tremendous achievements and dedicated career at Liberty Hospital are unparalleled. We will greatly miss David’s servant leadership and wish him well in his retirement.”
