Bob Copple, an experienced administrative leader in Catholic healthcare, is returning to his roots in Via Christi and in Kansas to become senior administrator for Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan. 
Since June 2013, Copple has served as president and chief executive officer of CHI’s Memorial Community Hospital & Health System in Blair, Nebraska. Prior to joining Memorial, Copple served as operations leader for campus and system diagnostics at CHI and Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha.
“Our Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan has a strong history of providing high quality healthcare services to the community,” said Todd Conklin, chief operating officer for Via Christi Health. “I am confident that under Bob’s leadership, it will continue to serve this important and growing community with distinction.”
A licensed professional engineer with more than two decades of healthcare leadership experience, Copple served as director of Facilities Management for Via Christi’s Wichita hospitals from 1996 to 2001.
Copple will begin his new role as Manhattan’s administrative leader on May 23, succeeding John Broberg, whose planned retirement was announced in January.
“This move is like going home in a way,” said Copple, who earned both is bachelor’s and a master’s degrees in industrial engineering from Kansas State University. “I am excited to have the opportunity to return to Manhattan, to be closer to a couple of my siblings and their families, and to be part of the university community. My children will be in Manhattan for a few years attending KSU, which is a benefit as well.”