The Annual Report is an 

opportunity to share Good 

Shepherd Health Care 

System’s (GSHCS) growth and 

achievements over the fiscal 

year with our staff, patients and 

communities. Growth is a theme 
you will notice throughout 

this report as Good Shepherd 

expands its medical staff and 
services to meet the  

healthcare needs of the region.
One mark of this growth is a robust team of 
healthcare workers. Good Shepherd now employs 
just over 950 people, and 1,250 in total including 
contract staff. Our employees are highly engaged 
stewards dedicated to the organization’s mission to 
improve the health of our community. Our growing 
team is a credit to the investments we have made 
toward employee well-being and recruitment of top 
talent. In the spring of 2024, GSHCS was recognized 
again as a U.S. Best-in-Class Employer based on 
results from Gallagher’s 2023 U.S. Benefits Strategy 
& Benchmarking Survey. This is the second year 
in a row our health care system has received this 
recognition. To earn this accolade, GSHCS had to 
be in the top 25% of Gallagher’s 4,000+ survey 
respondents across the country, ranked based 
on answers to how we support our employees’ 
physical, emotional, career and financial well-being. 
We have recently made significant additions to 
the organization’s benefits package to include 
employer-paid medical, dental and vision premiums 

for all benefit-eligible employees and their families. 
As GSHCS strives to provide a thriving, supportive 
environment for its employees, we anticipate our 
team will continue to grow as we aim to be the 
Employer of Choice for the region.
Growth and success begin with great leadership. 
At the start of the fiscal year, we welcomed Good 
Shepherd’s next President & CEO, Art Mathisen, after 
a rigorous recruitment process. Mathisen assumed 
the position July 17, 2023, succeeding former Interim 
President & CEO Emmett Schuster. Mathisen brought 
with him over 25 years of experience serving in 
several healthcare leadership roles, as well as a 20-
year military career. Mathisen has been a driving 
force for growth and expansion of new services 
since joining GSHCS, and we look forward to his 
continued steadfast leadership in the years to come.
It has been an honor to serve as Board Chair this 
past year. Our Board of Trustees elected two new 
Trustees during the fiscal year, Jaclyn Jenkins of 
Hermiston, Oregon, and Robert Longoria of Umatilla, 
Oregon. As representatives of the community, the 
Board of Trustees’ governance of Good Shepherd 
ensures that the organization gives back to the 
communities we serve and adheres to the highest 
standards of quality healthcare. 
Giving back to the community is one key indicator 
of a hospital’s success. GSHCS is actively engaged in 
community benefit initiatives that often contribute 
to improved health outcomes throughout the region. 
Last fiscal year alone, GSHCS gave $7,828,571 in 
charity care dollars to help patients pay for their 

A Message from the Board of Trustees

3

(continued on page 5)

Jon Lorence | Board of Trustees Chair | Good Shepherd Health Care System

Jon Lorence