Ollie Smith to Retire as Horizon Health CEO

Community celebration planned November 16

When Ollie Smith retires at year's end, he will leave a legacy unmatched in Horizon Health's history.

During his 11-year tenure as president and CEO, Ollie achieved numerous successes. Under his leadership, Horizon Health transformed from a small rural hospital into a "mini health system," while maintaining its integrity as a community-owned entity led by a local board of directors.

In honor of Ollie’s upcoming retirement, Horizon Health will host a community celebration Saturday, November 16, from 1 to 4 pm, at Betty Jane’s Kitchen in Paris, Illinois. The event is free and open to the public.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Ollie over the past several years and watch how our community health and organization has improved under his leadership,” said Nolan Longest, chairman of the hospital’s board of directors. “The growth and the success of Horizon Health can be directly attributed to Ollie’s vision and his great partnership with the board of directors.”

Ollie’s career at Horizon Health spans nearly 40 years. He began as a pharmacist and held various positions over the years. He was named president and CEO in January 2014. Four years later the organization rebranded to Horizon Health (formerly Paris Community Hospital/Family Medical Center) to redefine its expanding footprint beyond Edgar County.

Horizon Health’s explosive growth has been a group effort involving talented people who have the “imagination and ingenuity to accomplish things,” Ollie said.

“It’s been a successful journey, but it wasn’t all me by any means,” he added. “It’s a community effort and I consider this my community.”

He said the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), performed every three years, has been the driving force behind Horizon Health’s success. The CHNA is a blueprint that identifies priorities and strategies for addressing important health needs in the community and includes input from many local individuals and organizations.

“The CHNA did more for guiding us to where we are today than anything I’ve been exposed to,” Ollie explained. “It is always going to be there to guide us, and that’s a good thing.”

New Locations

With Ollie as CEO, Horizon Health added 11 physical locations as a result of new or expanding services. Locations were added in Paris, Oakland, and Marshall. Horizon Health established its presence in Indiana with its Sycamore Pain & Wellness and Terre Haute Specialty Clinics.

Other completed building projects included the EZ Care/North American Lighting (NAL) Health Clinic, Paris Clinic expansion, Rehabilitation Services building, Life Center, Dialysis Center, and Home Care.

More Services/Providers

Ollie was at the forefront of attracting new medical talent to the area, recruiting numerous providers in family medicine, behavioral health, and specialty services. He grew the organization’s full-time specialty services and guided major technology upgrades, including next-generation radiology services. Major services added included behavioral health, cardiology, orthopedics/spine, urology, general surgery, bariatric surgery, and gynecology/urogynecology.

Lifetime Achievement Award

In 2023, Ollie received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN), a group of 59 rural hospitals dedicated to strengthening the operations of its members through collaboration. The award is ICAHN’s highest honor, praising visionary leadership and dedicated service to rural healthcare.

“Ollie is a born leader and advocate for his community and hospital,” said Pat Schou, former ICAHN executive director. “He is what is best in rural health leadership and someone you would want to lead your team.”

Horizon Health’s Future

Ollie said Horizon Health’s future looks bright. As the organization has grown, it has demonstrated an ability to adapt to change. A good example is COVID, he said, which is “where I think we shined so much.”

“There’s still plenty of room for growth. It is prioritizing and getting the most efficient growth we can. If we can do that, we will be around for a long time,” Ollie added.

After he retires on December 31, 2024, Ollie plans to remain in Hume and work at his family farm.

“I have been at Horizon Health the bulk of my professional life and have enjoyed it very much. It’s home to me. I’ll miss the people the most,” he said.