Lorain County Health & Dentistry names Ben Kosewski new president, CEO

The Lorain County Health & Dentistry board of directors has named Ben Kosewski the organization's next president and chief executive officer, the community health center announced Monday. Kosewski will join the organization as CEO-elect on Jan. 13. He succeeds Stephanie Wiersma, the organization's founder, former president and CEO who announced her retirement in the fall and will leave the organization on Feb. 28. "I am thrilled to join Lorain County Health & Dentistry, and to serve as its next CEO. LCH&D has a rich history of providing compassionate, affordable primary care to residents of Lorain County and beyond. It is a mission-driven organization thoroughly committed to community," Kosewski said. "As CEO, I will honor the health center's legacy and further its local impact. To follow in the footsteps of Stephanie Wiersma is an honor, and I am humbled to have this opportunity." Kosewski is an executive with 12 years of experience in health care administration. He comes to LCH&D from Mercy Health where he served since 2020 as the director of the oncology service line. At Mercy, Kosewski was responsible for daily and strategic operations, financial management and operational leadership of the oncology service line at five Mercy hospitals in Lorain and Youngstown, and collaborated with leaders in primary care, cancer screening/services and geriatric services. Prior to joining Mercy Health, Kosewski was executive director of Cancer Services and Palliative Care at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Western Maryland in Cumberland, Maryland, where his responsibilities were program development, strategic and business planning and operational and financial management. Kosewski has MBA in organizational leadership from Ashford University and a master's degree in genetic counseling from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas. In addition to his professional work, Kosewski cherishes time with his family and enjoys woodworking and other hobbies. He serves on the board for Lorain County Urban League and is actively involved with Scouting America and Avon Lake Pack 334. Todd Tilberg, chairman of the LCH&D board of directors, formed a "CEO search & transition committee after receiving notice of Wiersma's retirement. After an extensive search that yielded multiple strong contenders, according to LCH&D, the committee selected Kosewski, an experienced health care leader already working and living in Lorain County. "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I congratulate Ben on this achievement," Tilberg said in a news release. "We look forward to his leadership for years to come as we enter the next, exciting chapter of our community health center." Lorain County Health & Dentistry served approximately 18,500 unduplicated patients in more than 63,000 visits at six locations in Lorain, Elyria, Oberlin and North Ridgeville in 2024, the organization said. Services include medical, dental, integrated behavioral health, optometry, podiatry and pharmacy for patients of all ages. For more information or to make an appointment, call (440) 240-1655 or visit www.lorainhealth-dentistry.org.