Kambic speaks to GSU Class of 2025, receives honorary doctorate

“Be optimistic. Be persistent. Be a lifelong learner. And remember, you are remarkable.”

These were some of the words Riverside Healthcare President and CEO Phil Kambic shared with Governors State University’s Class of 2025 during its May commencement ceremony.

Kambic had the opportunity to speak to graduates and the audience as he was presented with an honorary doctorate degree by the University Park-based school.

“Thank you, Governors State University, for this incredible honor,” Kambic said in a statement. “I’m deeply humbled to receive an honorary doctorate and proud to be part of the GSU community. Education has played a transformative role in my life, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to give back.”

During commencement remarks, Kambic, the youngest of nine children, recounted his own story of unlikely success in the corporate world.

Having lost his father while still in high school, Kambic intended to apply for employment at a local factory after high school graduation.

An impromptu invitation from a friend led him to the campus of Eastern Illinois University, where he spontaneously signed a lease for an apartment for the fall, registered for school and applied for financial assistance.

After graduating from EIU, Kambic earned an MBA from Governors State. Reflecting on that spur-of-the moment trip to Charleston, Kambic said, simply, “Education changed my life.”

Kambic has served as Riverside Healthcare’s president and CEO since December 2005. He has held various leadership roles including senior vice president and chief operating officer at Riverside since 1985.

Under Kambic’s leadership, Riverside Medical Center has earned Magnet designation and multiple redesignations, received multiple IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospital Awards and 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospital Awards, and started several Residency and Fellowship training programs at the hospital.