Bellin CFO Dietsche to Become Next Chief Operating Officer

Steps into role as future of healthcare demands close ties between finances, operations

Bellin Health Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Jim Dietsche, C.P.A., will also become the organization’s Chief Operating Officer under a new service delivery structure that will take effect Oct. 1. Incoming President and CEO Chris Woleske announced the change this week.

The added role for Dietsche creates a closer connection between financial planning and operations to allow Bellin to better align its team around the outcomes and value that matter to patients, Woleske said. Whereas in the past, growth was measured in volumes and dollars, today’s focus on population health management means performance is measured based on best outcomes and patient loyalty.

“Connecting finance and operations very directly is critical as we prepare for the future of healthcare, and this new structure supports that,” Woleske said. “What hasn’t changed — what will not change — is that the Bellin Health patient remains at the center of all we do.”

Dietsche, 51, has served on Bellin’s executive team since 2005, and has nearly 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Healthcare providers are now asked to assume more financial risk than ever, he said, meaning his role as CFO is increasingly focused on the organization’s operations to meet that objective.

“The mission, vision and strategies are all focused around population health, population improvement and strong clinical quality at more of an affordable price,” Dietsche said. “That really requires the CFO to be very strongly linked to the operations of the organization, more so now than ever before. So I see this as an evolution, rather than a combination of two positions.”

Dietsche will take over the COO role previously held by Woleske, who will become the health system’s new President and CEO on Oct. 1. In the meantime, he will focus his attention on connecting with Bellin’s workforce to better understand their needs.

“In the next couple months I’m going to do a lot of site visits and a lot of listening to our clinicians, our staff, so that I can really understand and appreciate the work they do each and every day,” Dietsche said. “And my goal is to continue to give them the tools to do that even better.”

Dietsche is a 1985 graduate of Lena High School and a 1989 graduate of St. Norbert College (Bachelor of Business Administration). He serves on Bellin’s Finance and Executive committees, as well as the Board of Directors. He is a board member and treasurer for the Greater Green Bay Chamber and a board member of the Wisconsin Hospital Association Information Center Advisory Council, as well as the governor-appointed chair of the Wisconsin Health & Educational Facilities Authority. Dietsche has served as a board member for Bellin Health Oconto Hospital, Bellin-Thedacare Healthcare Partners, Unity Hospice, Bellin Orthopedic Surgery Center, LLC, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Green Bay Area Catholic Education System. His interests outside his professional career include running and coaching youth sports.