Ingram's: Jani Johnson Named to 2025 Class of Women Executives–Kansas City
Jani Johnson, president of Saint Luke's Central Region, was recognized as one of 13 honorees in Ingram's 2025 Class of Women Executives–Kansas City (WeKC).
Every year, Ingram's, Kansas City's Business Magazine, honors and highlights outstanding women in leadership roles at high-profile regional companies. WeKC began in 1993 as an event for women across business sectors to gather and reflect on the state of female leadership in corporate Kansas City. Since the WeKC suite of recognitions began, nearly 300 trailblazing women in business have been honored.
Read Ingram's write-up on Jani Johnson.
Jani Johnson, President, Saint Luke’s Central Region
On the road to executive leadership at one of the region’s biggest medical centers, Jani Johnson learned some important lessons about limitations, and looking past them. One came from her mother, who earned a master’s degree in education after her 50th birthday. The other came from Johnson herself, who learned that it’s never too early to start collecting a paycheck. “My first job was as a swimming instructor at age 13, followed by a job working in customer service at a large retail store. I can look back now and see that many of those jobs I did were stepping stones. They helped make me who I am today and laid the foundation for the kind of leader I want to be.” That’s how she ended up on track to lead a major research hospital that admits roughly 20,000 patients a year and generates $4 billion in revenues.
Her story testifies to the power of growing up with strong role models. The third of four children, she’s an Omaha native who says education and work ethic were foundational values in the family home. “There was never a question about whether my siblings and I would obtain a college education,” Johnson says. “That expectation was set at an early age.” A passion for taking care of people drew her to nursing school; “I wanted a career that would help me make a difference in others’ lives,” she says. “Nursing offered many different opportunities to do exactly that. Graduate school was helpful to me—I certainly gained the knowledge I needed to be successful—but throughout my career, I have been blessed with many mentors. They have had the greatest impact on my education. They were my best teachers and the most influential forces in my professional life.” One of them, in fact, steered her on the path to leadership. “That advice resonated with me,” Johnson says. “I realized the importance of good leadership and its direct correlation to excellent outcomes in retention, staffing, and patient care. I also recognized that my clinical experience working at the patient bedside gave me necessary insight.” Specifically, into how things get done, which she says is critical information for any leadership or business decision. “I knew a leadership role might eventually take me away from regular, direct patient contact, but I would be gaining the ability to make a greater impact for all patients and my colleagues. I gravitated toward that opportunity.”
As a leader, she values collaboration, conflict resolution, and the ability to inspire and motivate her team. While the work is incredibly challenging, she says, “we have been given a special responsibility—an opportunity—to care for our community. This gives our employees tremendous pride in their organization. Our ‘why’ really matters in health care. Our team members are here for more than a paycheck; they are here for the difference they can make.”
