Linda Newberry-Ferguson, former chief executive officer of the Rehabilitation of Hospital of Wisconsin, has been named president and CEO of Village at Manor Park Healthcare & Community Living in West Allis.
Newberry-Ferguson has held several executive positions in the Milwaukee health care industry, most recently as senior vice president of clinical navigation with Milwaukee-based Dohmen Life Sciences Services and Eversana, which acquired the Dohmen business in 2018.
She previously was CEO of the Kindred Hospital Milwaukee, a long-term acute care hospital, and was later CEO of the Rehabilitation of Hospital of Wisconsin, a joint venture between ProHealth Care and Kindred Healthcare.
Newberry-Ferguson succeeds Elizabeth Toohill, who recently resigned as CEO of VMP.
VMP provides independent living, assisted care, memory care, skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, ventilator care and outpatient therapy at its West Allis campus.
“I’ve worked through the whole health care continuum, from the ICU in acute care, all the way here,” she said. “… (VMP) has independent living, assisted living, the clinics and ventilators. It’s a whole continuum of care that allows us to really age in place. That was very exciting to me, the opportunity to lead teams across that continuum.”
She takes the helm as the senior care provider adapts its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like long-term care facilities across the state, the facility is not allowing non-essential visitors during the pandemic. To date, it has not had any confirmed COVID-19 cases.
“Effective leadership has never been more important in the long-term care industry than at this moment in time,” said David Affeldt, chairman of the VMP board of directors. “The Village at Manor Park is pleased to have found a new CEO who is as capable and experienced as Linda Newberry-Ferguson is. The board is confident she will provide the wisdom and vision our organization needs to navigate through the pandemic and beyond.”
In her new role, Newberry-Ferguson said she’s focused on making VMP an employer of choice in the region. The organization has more than 400 employees.
“There’s an ingrained culture of caring here,” she said. “I have been so impressed with it. I am excited to be a part of this culture and grateful to be a part of this culture. We want … it to be known as a great place to work. That’s something that we want to elevate.”
Since coming to Milwaukee from St. Louis in 2003 to lead Kindred Hospital, Newberry-Ferguson has been involved in several civic organizations and boards. She is a past president and past director of the board of TEMPO Milwaukee, former director and chair of the board for Metro Milwaukee American Heart Association, a former board member of the Wisconsin Badger State, Science and Engineering Fairs and a former steering committee member of Milwaukee Women Inc.
She’s currently a director and chair of the board of the Wisconsin American Lung Association and is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee College of Health Sciences.
“Through all of that community involvement and being engaged in those activities and various committees, you meet so many people,” she said. “It’s true what they say about ‘Smallwaukee.’”
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