Rock Island Today

Jodie Criswell, Chief Financial Officer at Hammond-Henry Hospital in Geneseo, has been recognized by Becker's Healthcare as one of the top 38 rural hospital and health system CFOs to know in 2025. Criswell was the only CFO from Illinois to receive this distinction. She has also served as Interim CEO at Hammond-Henry Hospital.

In her role, Criswell oversees financial operations that include cost reports, managed care negotiations, and electronic health record selection, most recently leading the transition to the Epic EMR system. Her leadership has contributed to Hammond-Henry Hospital earning either a '4-star' or '5-star' rating for patient experience from CMS. She has led efforts to improve financial services, registration, scheduling, and billing processes for patients and their families.

Before joining Hammond-Henry Hospital in 2011, Criswell was CEO of Mercer County Hospital.

Anna Falvey, a writer for Becker's Healthcare, stated: "Accessing quality healthcare has long been a challenge for rural communities, where patients often face long travel distances, high costs, and other barriers to care. Rural hospitals work tirelessly to close these gaps, and their CFOs are key to making that possible. Rural hospital CFOs are the stewards of financial stability, ensuring that their institutions remain viable while keeping care affordable for the patients who depend on them. Through careful strategy, resource allocation, and securing essential funding, these leaders play a pivotal role in supporting underserved populations and sustaining the future of rural healthcare."

Becker’s Healthcare compiled its list based on nominations and editorial research. The organization notes that inclusion is not an endorsement and leaders cannot pay for placement on the list. Recipients were selected from across multiple states including Hawaii, Wyoming, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Georgia, Alaska, New Hampshire, California, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Indiana, Louisiana, Arizona, Iowa, Utah, Vermont, Oklahoma, Maryland, North Dakota, Nevada, New York, Nebraska and North Carolina.