RMC Financial Officer Kessner To Retire
As chief financial o_cer for Roosevelt Medical Center, Jennifer Kessner didn’t wear a stethoscope or treat sick patients. But her work kept the lights on, the equipment updated, the payroll steady, and the doors open in a community where the hospital is more than a building - its a lifeline to all.
After 16 years of balancing budgets, ensuring fiscal compliance, coordinating audits and wrestling with Excel spreadsheets, she is passing the torch, or in her case, the calculator, as she sets her sights on retirement.
Kessner, who joined RMC in 2010, has led the finance department with a steady hand as a leader who combined fiscal discipline with a deep understanding of RMCs mission and vision Over the years, she navigated the hospital through financial highs and lows, spearheading cost-saving initiatives without compromising patient care, and assisted with overseeing major capital projects such as the addition of the new CT suite, new electronic health record and the building-reconfiguration that brought all patient services upstairs. Her financial stewardship also ensured the hospital and foundation maintained balanced budgets for 16 consecutive years.
Enjoying the work behind the scenes, Kessner never sought the spotlight. Her victories were profound, yet quiet ones - breezing through deficiency-free external audits, finding funds to cover unforeseen equipment needs and repairs, and upgraded equipment purchased without debt. “The accomplishment I am most proud of is that I am leaving RMC in a good financial position. Of course, I didn’t do it all by myself. It was a team e rt,” she said.
Beyond the numbers, Kessner was known for serving on internal committees and assisting with community awareness events throughout the years. Whether that meant serving tacos for breast cancer awareness or passing out giveaways at health fairs, she willingly assisted where needed. She also served as the CFO for the foundation, helping guide the board in its fiscal decision making.
Sta 3know Kessner as the co-worker who always found time to bake a cake in celebration of a birthday or who brought homemade goodies to an internal potluck.
Over the years, Kessner said she worked with many people who became workfriends along the way. There have also been co-workers who greatly impacted her.
“I was always inspired by Audrey Stromberg, the former CEO. She was a wealth of knowledge about critical access hospitals and was great about passing on what she knew. Our CPA, Dan Green, was also a great mentor and one of the most knowledgeable people I ever met,” she said.
Kessner plans to spend her retirement traveling and creating as many memories as possible with her three granddaughters. She also plans to indulge in her one and only hobby, reading. It will be nice to be able to do things whenever I want and not have to plan around payroll, board meetings and other deadlines, she said. She has plans of taking a trip down Route 66.
“I am going to miss so many of the people I have worked with, over the years. RMC is a great place to work. If I had to choose two words to describe my time there, I would say it was rewarding and challenging,” she said.
The facility has expanded the responsibilities of Liz Mogen, the business o_ce manager, to include oversite of all financial operations, taking over many of the CFO duties, ensuring the continued strength of the facilitys fiscal management. For the past several months, she has been training with Kessner to ensure a smooth transition. Mogen has been employed at RMC since 2009.
“Mogen’s financial leadership has served as the heartbeat behind our financial health, guiding us through challenges with wisdom, integrity, and vision. As she steps into this well-earned new chapter, she can feel assured that we will continue to build on her legacy of dedication and commitment to financial excellence,” said Jamason Schmidt, CEO.
