Elmhurst Hospital promotes Dr. Kimberley Darey to president

Dr. Kimberley Darey, an obstetrician and gynecologist who has been on the medical staff of Elmhurst Hospital since 2010, is the new president of the hospital.

Darey was previously vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer of the hospital. From 2015 to 2021, she was medical director of the hospital’s OB/GYN Department.

In a conversation with Pioneer Press, Darey said her experience as medical director helped prepare her for her new role.

“What was really great about working as medical director was being able to see how care was delivered for the whole (OB/GYN) unit,” she said.

That involved working with different people, including nursing staff, helping to keep quality standards high, insuring safety and maintaining clinical excellence.

In that role, Darey said she also became involved in several hospital committees with exposure to issues involving pharmacy, overall hospital quality issues and even staffing in what she said was a complete collaborative environment.

“I was able to really see how the wheels of the hospital work,” she said.

Darey, 53, said she began her career as a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry before deciding to go to medical school. She earned her medical degree from the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science and completed her OB/GYN residency at Saint Joseph Hospital Chicago.

Darey spoke of her goals in her new position, even in the face of post-COVID-19 challenges of supporting existing staff and attracting new employees.

“Elmhurst (Hospital) has an amazing reputation, so I really want to continue to serve our community with high quality safe care,” she said. “I’m here to make sure that we’re still delivering excellent care even in the face of challenges we’re facing.”

Darey’s promotion comes as the hospital announced that it has once again been awarded Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care by Planetree International. Elmhurst Hospital is one of only 97 health care organizations worldwide, 22 in the United States and the only one in Illinois, to earn Gold Certification from Planetree International.

Gold Certification represents the highest level of achievement in person-centered care, which prioritizes the active participation of patients and their families throughout the health care process with an emphasis on partnership, compassion, transparency, inclusion and quality.

“We’re extremely proud of our Planetree recognition,” Darey said. “Planetree is a huge part of who we are as Elmhurst — it’s woven into the fabric, it’s our culture.”

Darey succeeds Pamela Dunley, who retired after 25 years at Elmhurst Hospital and 40 years in health care.

Elmhurst Hospital moved from its longtime near-downtown Elmhurst location in June of 2011 to a handsome Prairie-style building near the corner of York Street and Roosevelt Road. The state-of-the-art hospital can treat 259 patients, all in private rooms in the five-story structure.

Long part of Edward-Elmhurst Health, Elmhurst is now one of nine hospitals that are part of NorthShore — Edward-Elmhurst Health. The fully integrated health care delivery system provides community-connected health care to residents in six counties in northeast Illinois.

Dr. Darey was an inaugural member of Edward-Elmhurst Health’s (EEH) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and is a member of EEH’s Health Equity Task Force.

Graydon Megan is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.