Essence Montgomery, CPA, MBA, serves as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for St. Mary’s Medical Center, part of Prime Healthcare. She brings over 16 years of healthcare finance experience. Essence served at St. Francis Health for four years, from 2014 to 2017. She began her tenure there as the Administrative Director of Finance and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer / Vice President of Financial Services in 2015, providing financial leadership for all aspects of St. Francis Health and serving as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

Prior to joining St. Francis, Essence spent 12 years at Saint Luke’s Health System in Kansas City serving in various finance leadership roles at both the acute hospital and Corporate levels. Her experience with Saint Luke’s included hospital operations, ambulatory physician clinic finance, and for-profit ventures. Essence has served on several Boards contributing her financial and healthcare experience, including Life Star of Kansas (air ambulance service) and the St. Francis Foundation. Essence is also a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and participates in many of its programs. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Essence is a Kansas City native and enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. She is passionate about community service and community access to healthcare services. She prioritizes collaborating with as well as empowering and educating other leaders on healthcare finances.

Essence is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Master’s in Business Administration with Accounting emphasis and a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting, both from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri.