St. Joe's hires new chief administrative officer

In a press release issued last Wednesday, Providence Montana announced that Caryl Perdaems has accepted the role of chief administrative officer for Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson and stepped into her new job Feb. 3.

The hospital’s new administrator grew up in rural North Dakota, and says she learned firsthand how important critical access hospitals are, describing them as “the true heartbeat of any community.”

Perdaems joins the healthcare center following a lengthy career throughout Montana, most recently serving as the chief practice officer at Great Falls Clinic/Great Falls Hospital. Prior to that, she served as the system director of operations at Bozeman Health, where she oversaw primary care, procedural and surgical specialties.

Perdaems has spent much of her time in critical access hospital and hospital settings and considers herself a strong advocate for community health.

She holds a master’s in public administration from the University of Montana and a bachelor’s in occupational therapy from the University of North Dakota. She earned board certification in lymphedema management with the Lymphology Association of North America and is a certified wound specialist with the American Board of Wound Management.

Perdaems currently serves on the board of the Montana Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).

Perdaems says she’s looking forward to her work as St. Joseph’s new chief administrative officer – a post that was vacated more than a year ago when her predecessor Devin Huntley stepped down.  

“Collaborating with the team locally and with the support of engaged community partners, we will continue to expand relationships and grow our care offerings for everyone who seeks services, in a meaningful and compassionate way,” she said.