GovState to honor Distinguished Alum, Phillip Kambic with Honorary Doctorate Degree
By Lisa Redmond, Staff Writer
Governors State University (GovState) will honor Phillip Kambic (‘92) with an honorary doctorate degree during the Commencement ceremony at the Tinley Park Convention Center on May 17, 2025. Kambic is the President and CEO of Riverside Healthcare (Chicago), a staunch advocate for excellence in patient care and healthcare education, and the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award winner.
Kambic (pictured left), a first-generation student and Kankakee native, came from humble beginnings. The first of his siblings to earn a college degree, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Illinois University (‘85) and later returned to school to earn a Master of Business Administration degree from Governors State University (‘92).
Speaking at the University earlier this year, Kambic discussed mentorship and the transformational power of education.
“I was the youngest of nine children, and all eight of my older siblings had graduated from high school and went straight to work at the factory. I had fully decided that that would be my path also, until I accepted a last-minute invite to go on a road trip to Eastern Illinois University (EIU).”
One of Kambic’s friends from high school, Frank, invited him to go along on a road trip to EIU. By the end of the day Kambic had signed a lease for an apartment, applied for admission at EIU, and visited the financial assistance office. Frank not only invited him but also managed to advocate for him as they went from office to office at the university. That first year of school Frank looked out for him and took him under his wing.
Always a close-knit family, and even more so after the loss of his father when he was still in high school, Kambic said that the older siblings of his family always looked out for the younger ones. These things, among others, taught him that anyone can be a mentor, at any age. This is the very message that Kambic conveyed to GovState students during a recent visit to campus.
Kambic began serving as Riverside Healthcare’s President and CEO in December 2005. He consistently led Riverside to a number of national awards and remarkable distinctions. Riverside has received multiple IBM Watson 100 Top Hospital awards, 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospital awards, and the Everest award. Riverside has also regularly achieved multiple Healthgrades awards including Patient Safety awards, Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence awards, 100 Top Orthopedic Hospital awards, 100 Top Stroke Hospital awards, 100 Best Hospitals awards, as well as a variety of other Healthgrades excellence awards each year.
Kambic’s vision transformed Riverside into a teaching hospital: establishing vital residencies and opportunities for influencing healthcare and healthcare education. As a teaching hospital, Riverside earned Magnet designation and multiple re-designations, the highest distinction for nursing excellence. Further, he has expanded Riverside’s physical presence and geographic footprint significantly, and tripled its net asset size, continually improving patient access and serving the changing healthcare needs of the region.
Kambic said the fateful trip to EIU gave him a new direction he never envisioned for himself.
“This is my story of how education changed me and my life forever, for the good. To the faculty of GovState, thank you for all that you do. The work you do is so important. You change the world. Coming to Governors State changed my life. Thank you,” Kambic said.
Admission to Commencement ceremonies is by ticket only.