After more than five decades of service in Catholic healthcare—and 22 years at Door County Medical Center (DCMC) as Chief Administrative Officer and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE)—Greg Holub is stepping into a well-earned retirement. Holub's career has spanned a transformative era in healthcare, marked by seismic shifts in technology, patient care models, and the very fabric of the hospital systems he has helped shape.

One thing has remained constant through it all: his commitment to mission-driven leadership and compassionate care.

A Career Built on Values and Service

Greg's journey into healthcare leadership was influenced by the values instilled in him during his Catholic education at Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay. Those values stayed with him as he pursued a business degree at Marquette University, where he questioned how his career could make a meaningful impact.

"Early in my sophomore year, I was trying to get focused, asking myself, what do I want to do with my degree?" Holub recalled. "Hospital administration seemed like the right path because it blended the business component with being involved in caregiving."

That decision led him to Saint Louis University, where he earned a master's degree in hospital administration. His residency at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield in 1974 laid the groundwork for a remarkable 50-year career, all of it rooted in Catholic healthcare.

Looking back, Holub recognizes how formative that experience was, not only because of the professional foundation it gave him but because of the people and mission-driven culture he encountered early on. "When I started, there were about a dozen sisters from the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother at Saint Joseph's," he recalled. "They founded many hospitals across the country, and their presence shaped Catholic healthcare."

"Greg has devoted his life to Catholic healthcare," said Brian Stephens, CEO of Door County Medical Center. "His 50+ years of experience represent the best of what faith-based healthcare can be: dedicated through thick and thin, committed to compassion for the whole person, thoughtful in his approach, and not shying away from difficult decisions to ensure that the ministry is sustainable."

A Witness to Transformational Change

Throughout his career, Holub has witnessed the healthcare industry undergo monumental change. He has seen hospital stays shrink from weeks to days, surgeries shift from inpatient to outpatient procedures, and an explosion of new technologies—CT scans, MRIs, and robotic surgery—that have revolutionized patient care.

"Another huge change has been the mergers of health systems and the acquisition of physician practices," he explained. "There were just a couple dozen accredited hospital administration programs when I started. Now, educational opportunities have proliferated. The entire landscape has changed."

Yet, amidst this rapid evolution, Holub's leadership remained grounded in principles of adaptability, collaboration, and mentorship. Over the years, he worked in seven different locations across Wisconsin and reported to 11 different CEOs, experiencing firsthand how leadership philosophies, no matter the title, could vary wildly. "You have to be nimble and flexible," he said. "You need to support people, give them authority, and step back to let them grow."

A Community and a Career Well Served

Holub's career brought him to Door County Medical Center in 2003, following the hospital's affiliation with Ministry Health Care, a system he had been a part of for decades.

He initially managed DCMC's clinic and physician operations, one of the most critical and challenging areas of healthcare administration, particularly in rural communities. The pool of providers willing to practice in rural areas is small, and there are fewer when you narrow it to the upper Midwest.

"Recruiting physicians to a smaller community is challenging," he said. "Most physicians coming out of training want to be in larger communities. But we were able to attract high-quality physicians who wanted to live in a safe, welcoming, family-friendly place like the door peninsula." Physicians are such a crucial component of the healthcare organization.

During his time in this role, Holub helped recruit more than a dozen physicians to the community. "Over the years, I've been fortunate to help lead the effort to recruit an impressive group of talented physicians. These individuals, thanks to their training and skill, could practice anywhere, but they chose to build their careers and lives here."

Stephens added, "Those who help to recruit physicians to Door County Medical Center have a great influence on our community. Greg can walk through the halls of our clinic and hospital and see first hand the impact that the professionals he recruited are having on our lives."

One of the defining moments of Holub's career and the hospital's history came 5 years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of DCMC's Incident Command team, Holub helped lead the organization through an unprecedented crisis.

"I was part of the incident command at Door County Medical Center and Hospital Sisters Health System. That was seven days a week," explains Holub. "We also had a Door County Incident Command, which included many governmental and other organizations here, just dealing with all this."

"During a time of uncertainty, the community looked to Door County Medical Center for information and leadership," he recalled. "I'm incredibly proud of how everyone- our staff, physicians, and partners across this area came together. We became a stronger organization because of that experience."

A Lasting Impact

For Holub, "What's most gratifying in my career are the letters we receive from patients praising the care they received. People overwhelmingly comment on the Door County Medical Center staff's fantastic care and genuine compassion for those we serve."

For many of his colleagues, Holub's leadership style left an indelible impression. Jodi Hibbard, Chief Clinical Officer at DCMC and one of the many professionals he mentored, reflected on his career: "Greg is incredibly humble but has had a storied 50-year career in Catholic healthcare, fulfilling whatever role was asked of him. He has a knack for delivering a difficult message in a straightforward and respectful manner. He serves as the resident historian here and will be deeply missed."

"It's rewarding to see people starting out, increase their levels of responsibility, take on different roles, and have successful careers," says Holub. "Hopefully, looking back, you can see that you've contributed to some of that."

Beyond his administrative duties, Holub has been an active community member, serving on the boards of organizations that dovetail with his commitment to making Door County a place people choose to live and work.

Looking Ahead

After decades of steadfast dedication, Holub is preparing for the next chapter. "I've loved what I've been doing all this time," he shared. "But I'm accepting of retirement. My wife and I have been married for 46 years, and when I look back, I realize how much time I spent working. It's time to spend more of those hours together."

The Holubs are looking forward to simple pleasures—time with their daughter and grandchildren in Utah, a two-week beach vacation, and the freedom to enjoy life without the structure of a hospital schedule.

Holub's influence will continue to ripple through the halls of Door County Medical Center and the broader Wisconsin Catholic healthcare sector. His career is a testament to the power of humble leadership, community-focused care, and a life lived in service to others.