Fort Wayne Leader Leaves a Legacy as He Moves On

Have you heard the buzz? Fort Wayne is saying goodbye to a great leader in our prolific health care industry. Lutheran Health Network made a major announcement yesterday, revealing that Mike Schatzlein, MD, MBA, and CEO of Lutheran Health Network and Dupont Hospital, will be concluding his three decades of service in Fort Wayne as of June.

He will be beginning a new phase of his life and career at Saint Thomas Health Services in Nashville, Tennessee. Lutheran Hospital CEO Joe Dorko will serve as interim CEO of the Network. In their announcement, Lutheran Health Network called Schatzlein a "trailblazer in the areas of heart surgery, hospital administration and physician relations."

Schatzlein received a medical degree from the IU School of Medicine, and completed a surgical residency. His first task when he came to Fort Wayne in 1980 was to develop an open heart surgery program at St. Joseph Hospital. Five years later, he led the Lutheran Hospital team that performed the region's first heart transplant. 

Schatlein transitioned into administration and has held numerous leadership roles within the Network including senior vice president of strategic development, COO of the Network and CEO of St. Joseph Hospital. As the millennium drew near, Schatzlein spearheaded efforts on behalf of LHN to work with local physicians who saw the need for a hospital to serve communities in northern Allen County. Because of these efforts, he became Dupont Hospital’s first CEO and joined nearly 200 physician partners in the spring of 2001 when the facility officially opened. Schatzlein became CEO of Lutheran Health Network in 2007.

Liz, his wife of 22 years, is a broadcast journalist. Both have been dedicated Fort Wayne residents involved in numerous causes, such as the annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes campaign that raises money and awareness for programs of the Fort Wayne Women’s Bureau. Mike has also served on the boards of many local and state organizations including United Way of Allen County, Rescue Mission, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Super Shot, Fort Wayne Medical Education Program, the Chamber and Indiana Hospital Association.