Title: Executive Director
Company: Loyola Medicine
Location: Oak Park, IL
Education: MS in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety, The Graduate School, Northwestern University (2009); BA in Speech Communication, Minor in Political Science, University of Hawaii, Manoa
Career History: Executive Director, Center for Advanced Organ Failure and Transplantation, Loyola Medicine (2023-Present); Health System Operations Manager, Transplant Patient Access and Financial Services, Northwestern Medicine (2018-2023); Surgery Administrator, Vice Chair of Quality, Oregon Health and Science University (2013-2018); Division Administrator, Emergency Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (2012-2013); Performance Improvement Consultant, Quality, Safety and Accreditation, Rush University Medical Center (2011-2012); Program Manager, Integration Management Office, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Medicine (2000-2011); Faculty Instructor, Emergency Medical Technician Program, City Colleges of Chicago (2000-2007); Senior Consultant, BluesConnect and Blue Quality Centers for Transplant, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (1996-2002); Transplant Case Management Coordinator, Utilization Review, Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) (1993-1996)
Scott C. Kihoi, Executive Director at Loyola Medicine, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of health care.
Wielding more than 30 years of professional experience in his industry, Mr. Kihoi launched his career in 1993 as a transplant case management coordinator with the Hawaii Medical Service Association. He then held a senior consultant role in transplant at Blue Cross Blue Shield from 1996 to 2002, followed by paramedic work and success as a faculty instructor in the Emergency Medical Technician Program at the City Colleges of Chicago through 2007. Continually drawn to the transplant field, he was active as a program manager at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a performance improvement consultant at Rush University Medical Center, and a division administrator of emergency medicine at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago between 2000 and 2013.
In 2013, Mr. Kihoi became the surgery administrator and vice chair of quality at Oregon Health & Science University, where he excelled not only in developing transplant experience in operations and experience in patient care, but in building quality and outcomes programs. Reflecting on his prolific career in health care, he is most proud of being instrumental in creating a dashboard for cardiovascular services and aligning all key performance indicators with the hospital’s goals. From 2018 to 2023, he served as the health system operations manager for transplant patient access and financial services at Northwestern Medicine and has been the executive director of the Center for Advanced Organ Failure and Transplantation with Loyola Medicine since 2023.
In this position, Mr. Kihoi’s responsible—among several things—for all the financial revenue cycle and costs, overseeing the management team, running clinical operations and inpatient units, and leading the research arm of the service line. In addition to his primary endeavors, he is an active speaker across conventions and conferences, an author of articles for publications in the field, and has previously been involved with the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Police Department, and the Oak Park Elementary District 97, where he served as president of the PTO from 2020 to 2022. He’s also a dedicated member of such organizations as the American Surgical Association.
Attributing his success to several mentors throughout his career, he wields a master’s degree in healthcare quality and patient safety from Northwestern University and expertise in abdominal, thoracic, and stem cell transplant program management, quality and operations, Medicaid and Medicare, medical staff affairs, surgical services, patient experience, and EMS education and training. Throughout his professional life, he has prioritized outcomes and feels that a patient deserves the utmost care instead of being treated “as a number.”
Looking ahead, Mr. Kihoi plans to continue in his current role and title, while also increasing the volume of transplants performed across their programs. His ultimate goal is to make Loyola a premier transplant center that is distinguished from the competition.
