René Kougel Named President/CEO of HealthNet, Inc.
1/9/2025
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – After a nationwide search, the HealthNet, Inc. Board of Directors has appointed René Kougel, MBA, BSN, RN, to serve as the organization’s next President/CEO, effective December 30, 2024.
After serving as Interim President/CEO since October 2024, Kougel will continue to lead HealthNet in its commitment to improve health equity and deliver compassionate healthcare services to all individuals, regardless of their ability to pay. Serving over 61,000 patients across Marion, Morgan, and Monroe counties in Central Indiana, HealthNet provides high-quality, affordable primary care and support services through its 10 primary care health centers and a range of community outreach and support programs.
“We are excited to announce René Kougel as HealthNet’s new President and CEO,” said Toby Salyers, Chairperson of the HealthNet Board of Directors. “René’s experience in both healthcare operations and clinical care, combined with her strong leadership and strategic vision, make her the perfect leader to build on HealthNet’s 57-year legacy of community service and to chart the path forward for our organization.”
Community health centers like HealthNet are now the nation’s largest source of primary and preventative care for the nation’s underserved. As community health centers across the nation face unprecedented challenges related to funding and workforce issues, Kougel will provide the critical, strategic leadership needed to ensure HealthNet continues to thrive during this transformative period, added Salyers.
Kougel expressed her enthusiasm for the opportunity: “I am honored to be part of an organization that plays such an essential role in the lives of our patients and the communities we serve. Together with the HealthNet Board, providers, and team members, I look forward to navigating the current healthcare landscape and expanding our services to meet the needs of those who count on us for their care.”
Kougel succeeds Rick Diaz, who resigned in October 2024 after 11 years with HealthNet. She brings over two decades of experience in Federally Qualified Health Centers. Most recently, she served as HealthNet’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for five and a half years, overseeing operations at HealthNet’s 10 community health centers and additional services such as School-Based/Title X Services, Enrollment Services, and Clinical Education. Prior to that role, Kougel was Chief Operations Officer at Indiana Health Centers, Inc., another FQHC. She also spent six years with HealthNet as a health center manager, including at HealthNet Martindale-Brightwood Health Center, HealthNet Northeast Health Center, and the Pediatric & Adolescent Care Center (now HealthNet Downtown Health Center), and earlier worked as Clinic Supervisor at Riggs Community Health Center in Lafayette, IN.
Kougel holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Purdue University and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.
About HealthNet, Inc.:
Founded in 1968, HealthNet is one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in Indiana and the nation, providing primary care, dental, pediatric, OB/GYN, pharmacy, behavioral health, specialty care, and support services to over 61,000 patients annually across Marion, Monroe and Morgan counties in Central Indiana. With a dedicated team of 600 doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals at our 10 community health centers and numerous outreach and support programs, we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality, affordable care to those who need it most. To learn more, visit www.indyhealthnet.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.