Mary Jo Kohout, RN, Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Ascension Elmbrook Hospital, is retiring after a four-decade career marked by leadership and mentorship, according to an April 2 announcement.
Kohout’s retirement marks the end of a long tenure that began in 1986 at St. Joseph Hospital in Milwaukee. She started her career as a nurse on the cardiac unit and quickly advanced into supervisory roles. Her commitment to patient care and professional development shaped her approach throughout her career.
Over the years, Kohout held several key positions including nursing supervisor, nurse director, vice president of nursing for Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare’s North Market, and ultimately dual leadership roles at Ascension Elmbrook. She credits mentors like Sharon Baughman and Deb Standridge for shaping her leadership style. “I’ve been fortunate to have remarkable mentors throughout my career who believed in me, guided me and helped shape the kind of nurse and leader I became,” Kohout said. “Because of that, I’ve always felt a responsibility to pay that forward, to invest in others, help them grow in their careers and create opportunities for the next generation of nurses to lead.”
Mentorship remained central throughout Kohout’s work. Many nurses she mentored early on now hold senior positions themselves. Sally Kalbas said about Kohout: “She’s made every nurse feel like we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves.” Lisa Bosman also described her influence: “Mary Jo had more confidence in me than I did in myself and it was her encouragement that led me to pursue nurse leadership 15 years ago.”
Kohout played a significant role during periods of change such as the HIV/AIDS crisis, transition to electronic health records, and COVID-19 pandemic challenges. She highlighted resilience as key: “I’ve worked with amazing people who just figure things out,” she said.
As she prepares for retirement—planning more time with family and pursuing hobbies—Kohout reflected on what has not changed about nursing: compassion remains central even as healthcare evolves. “The fundamental values of caring for patients with compassion and empathy remain central to nursing,” she said.
