JOHNSTOWN — The president and CEO of the Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber is ready for the next chapter in his life.

Tom Kurtz, who also leads the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber as president and CEO, is retiring from both roles this spring to do more of the things he loves — spending time with his grandchildren and pursuing his hobbies of cycling and landscape photography.

According to Kurtz, details of his replacement are still being ironed out and should be announced soon. He will remain with the hospital and the research institute in the meantime.

Kurtz joined the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber, then known as the Windber Research Institute, in 2009. He took helm of the medical center, then Windber Hospital, in 2014.

Under his leadership, the medical center became a cornerstone of health care excellence in the region, according to a press release announcing his retirement.

Kurtz oversaw the creation of several key facilities and programs that improved patient care and expanded services for the community, including the establishment of a state-of-the-art catheterization lab, the addition of six off-site physical therapy locations and the creation of an orthopedic walk-in clinic.

He also facilitated a vital orthopedic affiliation agreement with the Indiana Regional Medical Center to enhance access to specialized care for patients.

According to the release, Kurtz helped drive significant advancements in biomedical research at the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber.

During his tenure, the institute became a leader in molecular medicine, adding state-of-the art research equipment, such as additional freezer, and significantly expanding its tissue sample repository.

The only regret Kurtz said he has throughout his career is that he didn’t meet Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong sooner than he did.

Soon-Shiong is an investor and medical researcher from California who owns the Los Angeles Times and is a minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.

About 11 years ago on a Sunday evening, Kurtz saw Soon-Shiong on “60 Minutes” and thought he would make a great partner for the research institute. He made a cold call to Los Angeles and spoke with Soon-Shiong’s assistant the next day.

The assistant reportedly told Kurtz that Soon-Shiong was six months behind on returning phone calls and a year behind on meetings, but since he seemed like a nice guy, she passed Kurtz’s phone number onto Soon-Shiong.

To Kurtz’s surprise, he received a call from the assistant the next day to schedule a phone conversation after Soon-Shiong expressed interest in wanting to meet Kurtz in Windber.

Soon-Shiong spoke with Kurtz for a couple of hours that Thursday and flew his private jet to Windber the next week to tour the research institute.

Soon-Shiong was intrigued by the institute and was eager to become a partner, according to Kurtz. In 2016, both the research institute and the medical center were renamed to honor Patrick and Michelle Soon-Shiong, who invested in both facilities, Kurtz said.

By doing so, Soon-Shiong allowed the medical center to remain a not-for-profit community hospital at a time when so many rural hospitals in Pennsylvania were either being put out of business or merging with for-profit entities, Kurtz said.

According to Nick Jacobs, the former president of Windber Medical Center who hand-selected Kurtz to take over the research institute when he retired in 2009, Kurtz’s accomplishment of partnering with Soon-Shiong is an incredible feat in and of itself.

“I think it’s because he’s an outstanding leader. He leads with his heart with integrity, humility and genuine concern for the people around him,” Jacobs said of Kurtz. “That’s visible when you see him as a devoted father and grandfather. His compassion for family extends naturally to the patients he serves.”

Kurtz said that skill is something he learned throughout his career of working for rural healthcare facilities. Prior to joining the Windber Research Institute, Kurtz worked at the Conemaugh and Lee hospitals, both in Johnstown.

He began his career in 1977 working for the American Red Cross and joined Carlow Hospital in 1989.

When rumors circulated that Carlow Hospital was being sold to a for-profit entity, Kurtz started answering blind advertisements and “jumped at the chance” to work for Lee Hospital.

“I love community hospitals,” Kurtz said, noting there are many similarities between working at Lee Hospital and the Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber.

Most decisions are made at the director level, and as president and CEO, Kurtz could find himself involved on a daily basis with anything from decisions about staff to resolving issues with reimbursements.

“It can go from one extreme to another, but there’s nothing that’s off grounds,” Kurtz said, adding he tried to get to know each of the center’s staff members on some level.

“I may not know them all by name, but I know them to see them,” Kurtz said. “I’ve been to their departments because you have to be able to relate to people and what they do to be able to make decisions about it.”

Kurtz said there’s not a week that goes by he doesn’t speak with Soon-Shiong, and the only time he compliments Kurtz and the hospital’s staff is when they earn service excellence recognitions. It’s never about finances or how many patients the hospital sees each month, he said.

“We do quality work here and this hospital focuses on patients,” Kurtz said, adding he feels the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber is one of the most unique organizations in the country.

The research center has fewer than 50 people working in it and plays an important role in all areas of research, including the Department of Defense.

“We’re the leading tissue depository for the Department of Defense research institute,” Kurtz said.

Kurtz said the institute is strengthened by its diversity and researchers there who represent over a dozen nations, including Nigeria, India, China and Ukraine.

Most of them are Pitt-Johnstown alumni who could work anywhere in the world but choose to be in Windber because they’re free to pursue their passions in an environment that’s second to none, Kurtz said.

“The people who we have working over there could work anywhere else in the world. They’re that calibre,” he said.

Kurtz, who graduated from Pitt-Johnstown in 1976, has served as the chairman of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Board of Advisors for over a decade.

“UPJ was always such a big influence on my life,” Kurtz said, adding he previously served on the campus’ Alumni Association board of directors.

Pitt-Johnstown President Jem Spectar said knowing and working with Kurtz over the years has been a great pleasure and honor.

“As chair of the UPJ board, Tom has provided wise and thoughtful guidance, and throughout this time, he has been a tremendous colleague and friend,” Spectar said.

Spectar said the college campus has benefited from Kurtz’s strategic thinking, visionary leadership and enduring optimism through thick and thin.

“Through his outstanding service to our community and campus, Tom Kurtz stands tall as one of our most distinguished alums,” Spectar said. “Pitt-Johnstown wishes Tom and his family the very best in this next phase of his illustrious life, and we have no doubt he will continue to serve our community in impactful ways.”

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.