Jake Lee and Phil Kambic acknowledged by College of Business
April 21, 2022
Riverside Healthcare President and CEO Phil Kambic, and Riverside Board Member, Jake Lee were recently inducted into Governors State University’s College of Business Alumni Hall of Achievement.
At the induction ceremony, both Kambic and Lee spoke of their personal and professional growth along with the challenges they have faced in their careers.
A native of Kankakee and graduate of Kankakee Eastridge High School, Kambic received a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration from Governors State University. He has held various executive and leadership roles at Riverside since 1985. Before becoming President and CEO, Kambic was Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Riverside. Kambic began serving as Riverside Healthcare’s third President and CEO in January 2006.
As CEO, Mr. Kambic has guided Riverside to a number of awards and distinctions. Under his leadership, Riverside has received multiple IBM Watson (formerly Truven Analytics) 100 Top Hospital Awards, 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospital Awards, Everest Award; numerous HealthGrades Patient Safety awards, Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Awards, 100 Top Orthopedic Hospital Awards, and 100 Top Stroke Hospital awards, 100 Best Hospitals awards, as well as a variety of other HealthGrades excellence awards each year.
In Kambic’s time as CEO, Riverside has also become a teaching hospital. As a teaching hospital, Riverside is responsible for initiating residency and fellowship programs to train those coming into the medical field. Additionally, Riverside has earned Magnet designation and re-designation twice for nursing excellence.
Further, while under Kambic’s tenure as CEO, Riverside has expanded its physical presence and geographic footprint, now serving five counties and doubling its net asset size.
In addition to serving on Riverside Healthcare's Board of Advisors, Lee was elected Kankakee County Auditor in 2016, making him the first African-American countywide elected official in Kankakee County. Lee grew up primarily in Hopkins Park the youngest of five children. He was educated at Pembroke and St. Anne public schools and the Kankakee Area Career Center.
After high school, Lee joined the United States Navy serving at the United States Naval Academy and Bagram Airfield in Bagram, Afghanistan. During Jake’s tenure, he quickly rose to the rate of Religious Program Specialist Second Class, earned several accolades, the Joint Service Achievement Medal (2), the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NATO Medal, Rifle Marksmanship Ribbon, an Associate's Degree in Business Administration and subsequently a Bachelor's in Business Administration.