Endeavor Health has named David Rahija, Endeavor Health Medical Group Operations president, as the next president of Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.
According to a news release, Rahija will also serve as the Endeavor Health Neurosciences Institute and Surgical Services Executive. He succeeds Michael Hartke, who has been with the organization for 15 years, serving as NCH’s president since 2023.
“Michael has been an exceptional leader during his tenure, playing critical roles in the partnership and integration of NCH with NorthShore University HealthSystem and subsequently Endeavor Health, as well as the growth of our Neurosciences Institute,” Sean O’Grady, President, Acute and Ambulatory Operations for Endeavor Health, said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire organization, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Michael for his dedication to our patients, physicians, team members and community.”
Rahija has over 25 years of healthcare experience and a demonstrated commitment to fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration and diversity, the release said.
“Dave is a proven leader who brings a wealth of hospital, post-acute and outpatient operations experience to this role,” O’Grady said in the release.” His ability to lead and empower teams and effectively partner with physicians and community leaders makes him an ideal choice to lead NCH.”
A Mount Prospect native, Rahija has been with Endeavor Health since 2009, serving as Vice President and Senior Vice President of Endeavor Health Glenbrook Hospital, then serving as President of Endeavor Health Skokie Hospital before moving into his current role, according to the release.
While President of Skokie Hospital, Rahija led the 2019 transformation of the Hospital into the home of the nationally ranked Endeavor Health Orthopaedic & Spine Institute, Illinois’ only specialty hospital for orthopaedic and spine patients, the release said. More recently, Rahija was instrumental in helping to create a single, unified medical group for Endeavor Health’s employed physicians, making it the third-largest medical group in the state.
“I am honored and excited to lead NCH, a hospital with an unwavering commitment to the community I am proud to have grown up in,” Rahija said in the release. “Michael’s exceptional leadership has laid a strong foundation, and as we look ahead, I am inspired by the opportunity to advance care, develop clinical programs, foster meaningful connections and continue making a lasting impact on the health and well-being of our community.”
Before joining Endeavor Health NorthShore, Rahija held leadership roles at Sinai Health System and Sherman Health, beginning his career as a physical therapist and then expanding to include progressive leadership responsibility for operations, clinical service lines, quality improvement, patient and team member engagement, regulatory compliance and strategic growth, the release said.
Rahija is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a member of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine Dean’s Advisory Board and volunteers for various community organizations, the release said. He holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a master’s degree in physical therapy from Saint Louis University. He also earned an MBA with a concentration in healthcare management from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University.
