Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Trent Proehl

"As Chief Medical Officer of OSF Saint James, I’ll be a liason between physicians and the hospital administration," says Dr. Trent Proehl. "We need to promote understanding on both sides. After all, our goal is the same, to provide safe, consistent, high quality patient care."

Dr. Proehl's background as a general surgeon gives him an excellent perspective. "Surgeons spend a lot of time in the hospital. We can often see the bigger picture: the medical issues doctors must grapple with, and the rules and budget challenges that administrators face." Dr. Proehl will bring that experience and expertise to the hospital executive committee; he will also play an important role in developing other physician leaders.

Starting at "ground zero" in 2004, Dr. Proehl and his associate, Dr. Jay Woodland, have built a surgical practice widely recognized for innovative techniques and compassionate care.  He will continue in his surgical practice, with approximately a day and a half a week devoted to his new CMO duties.

A graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Dr. Proehl went on to complete the five-year residency training program at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria and was certified by the American Board of Surgery in 2005.

Both Dr. Proehl and his wife, Rebecca Proehl, MD, share similar backgrounds (both raised on farms) and similar careers. She also works for OSF Saint James and specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics. The doctors are also the parents of two young daughters.