By Dr. Jeff Bird—
MUNCIE, IN—Indiana University Health is the largest non-profit healthcare organization in Indiana. Annually it touches over 1 in 3 Hoosiers whole operating out of its 16 hospitals. IU Health is also one of the State’s largest employers with over 38,000 employees and more than 113,000 hospital admissions annually. IU Health also closely partners with the Indiana University School of Medicine as Indiana’s only academic medical center. It also has the largest network of physicians in the State of Indiana and provides excellence in medical care and has a significant impact on the health and wellness of the communities it serves.
I was blessed to serve Muncie and East Central Indiana as a practicing family doctor and eventually as the President of IU Ball Memorial Hospital, from which I retired earlier this year after 40 years. I maintain a strong passion for the health of our citizens and hope to continue to advocate for continued work to treat the ill and improve the health of all.
I sat with 2 of the primary healthcare leaders and executives to discuss the state of healthcare today.
Art Vasquez is the IU Health President of the North Region, which includes the greater metropolitan areas of Lafayette, Muncie, and Ft Wayne as well as the rural communities served by IU Health in the northern half of the state.
Vasquez grew up in Hammond IN, and attended DePaul University in Chicago earning a BS in finance then pursued his MBA in accounting from Purdue. He is a CPA and earned a healthcare delivery executive certification from Harvard University. Art spent several years early in his career working in finance for several financial institutions and began his executive healthcare journey in East Chicago with Powers Health/St Catherine’s Hospital in 2013. His introduction to IU Health began in 2016 when he became the Chief Operating and Financial Officer at IU West Hospital, then as President of IUH West. Vasquez then became the COO for the IUH suburban region and in 2016 became the president of IUH Arnett hospital. As IUH reorganized at the time of my retirement, Vasquez assumed an even broader scope of responsibility as the new President of the IUH North region, with responsibility for the northern half of the state. Art is a results-focused culture leader and is committed to team development and community involvement while promoting a patient first experience.
Kreigh Cook is the Chief Operating Officer and Hospital Administrator for IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. Cook grew up in the New Castle area and graduated from Blue River high school, where he was a basketball star. He then attended Oliver Nazarene University earning a BA in biology, then furthered his education at the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health and the IU McKinney School of Law earning both his MHA and JD. He knew he wanted to pursue his passion for healthcare and while in school and after his graduate work, he joined IU Health serving in multiple roles in project management, performance improvement and eventually into management. He came to IUH Ball in 2018 and was named the COO in 2023. Cook has a passion for supporting his team and helping to support change management in these times of uncertainty in healthcare. He is responsible for the daily operations of IU Health Ball Memorial. Cook leads with a true servant leadership mentality.
Healthcare is complex. It’s often confusing and frustrating for its consumers. Art Vasquez and Kreigh Cook are dedicated to making access, communication and outcomes better for all who need the services of Indiana University Health.
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