4 recent hospital, health system CEO exits
The following hospital and health system CEO departures, including retirements and leadership transitions, have been recently reported by Becker’s.
Note: This page was created March 20 and updated July 17.
July 10-16
1. Andrew Bedi exited his role as CEO of The Medical Center at Russellville (Ky.) and was named COO of Doctors Hospital of Augusta (Ga.).
2. Jeff Comer, PsyD, stepped down from his role as CEO of Show Low, Ariz.-based Summit Healthcare for personal health reasons.
3. Steve Stark is stepping down from his role as CEO of Madera (Calif.) Community Hospital to return to Gridley, Calif., to be closer to family.
4. Sony Sidhu, DNP, RN, exited her role as CEO of Central Valley Specialty Hospital in Modesto, Calif., and was named CEO of Madera (Calif.) Community Hospital.
July 3-9
1. Mary Beckerle, PhD, plans to step down as CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah, effective Sept 1.
2. Liz Dunne, president and CEO of Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth, will retire at the end of the year after a decade with the organization.
3. Ketul Patel, CEO of Tacoma, Wash.-based Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, will exit the organization to become president and CEO of Marietta, Ga.-based Wellstar Health System in late October.
4. Jeff St. Clair, president and CEO of Springhill Medical Center in Mobile, Ala., will retire in August.
June 26-July 3
1. Dave Ressler, CEO of Aspen (Colo.) Valley Health, plans to retire in 2026.
2. Bryan Mills, president and CEO of Indianapolis-based Community Health Network, plans to retire at the end of 2025 after 16 years in the role.
3. Cliff Wilson will step down as CEO of Georgetown (Ky.) Community Hospital and president of Lifepoint Health’s Central Kentucky market, effective July 23.
4. Ella Goss, MSN, RN, plans to retire Aug. 1 as chief executive of Anchorage-based Providence Alaska.
5. Rick Allen retired as CEO of Warren (Pa.) General Hospital after more than a decade.
June 17-25
1. Tom Miller, the inaugural CEO of Louisville, Ky.-based UofL Health, retired June 25.
2. Rich Liekweg, CEO of St. Louis-based BJC Health System, is retiring Oct. 1.
3. John Herman, CEO of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, will exit his role to become president of Tufts Medical Center in Boston, effective in early September.
4. Joseph Impicciche, CEO of St. Louis-based Ascension, will retire at the end of 2025.
5. Kevin Gross is retiring as CEO of Tulsa, Okla.-based Hillcrest HealthCare System.
6. R.D. Williams retired as CEO of Hendry Regional Medical Center in Clewiston, Fla.
7. Troy Greer has resigned as president and CEO of Albuquerque, N.M.-based Lovelace Health System after two years in the role.
8. Cyndee McGuire, president and CEO of Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough, N.H., plans to retire in early 2026.
9. Lori Mazanec, CEO of Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance, Neb., has taken a medical leave of absence.
10. Gary Herbst, CEO of Visalia, Calif.-based Kaweah Health, will retire June 30, 2026.
June 5-12
1. Mick Brant, CEO of Gothenburg (Neb.) Health, was placed on administrative leave.
2. Cam Patterson, MD, chancellor of Little Rock-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and CEO of UAMS Health, plans to step down due to medical and personal reasons.
3. Megan Ryan, president and CEO of Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, N.Y., was placed on administrative leave.
4. Kimberly Haverly exited her dual role as CEO/CFO at Carroll County Memorial Hospital in Carrollton, Ky., and was named administrator of Abilene, Kan.-based Memorial Health System.
5. Jason Paret plans to step down as CEO of Avalon, Calif.-based Catalina Island Health on Sept. 30.
6. Blair Kent, CEO of MemorialCare’s Long Beach (Calif.) Medical Center and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach, retired following a leave of absence.
May 30-June 3
1. Shaun Phillips, PharmD, resigned as CEO of Canyon Vista Medical Center in Sierra Vista, Ariz.
2. Megan Ryan, president and CEO of Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, N.Y., plans to resign July 20 following a state-approved restructuring of the board that oversees the safety-net hospital.
3. Lori Morgan, MD, president and CEO of Pasadena, Calif.-based Huntington Health, plans to step down before the end of 2025.
4. James Leonard, DO, left his role as CEO of Northwest Health-Porter in Valparaiso, Ind.
May 19-27
1. Joy Coulston stepped down as CEO of Powell (Wyo.) Valley Healthcare.
2. David Brash will exit his role as CEO of Logan (W.Va.) Regional Medical Center to become CEO of Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, W.Va., effective July 7.
3. Dave Ramsey will retire as president and CEO of Charleston, W.Va.-based Vandalia Health in July 2026.
4. Roland Knox, CEO of Mount Graham Regional Medical Center in Safford, Ariz., is on an extended absence due to a health issue.
5. Linda Walker exited her role as CEO of Val Verde Regional Medical Center in Del Rio, Texas, and was named CEO of Llano (Texas) Regional Hospital.
May 14-15
1. John Whitlock resigned in April as CEO of MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, Mass., part of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare.
2. Edwin Simpser, MD, will retire at the end of June as president and CEO of Bayside, N.Y.-based St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children.
3. Owen Bailey, CEO of Mobile, Ala.-based USA Health, will retire Aug. 1.
4. Michael Dowling will transition from president and CEO of New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health to become CEO emeritus, effective Oct. 1.
April 24-May 7
1. Paige Dworak exited her role as president and CEO of CareWell Health Medical Center in East Orange, N.J., and was named system COO of Hudson Regional.
2. Tom Kleinhanzl will retire Oct. 31 as president and CEO of Frederick (Md.) Health.
3. Cindy Bergmeier exited her role as CEO of TriStar Horizon Medical Center in Dickson, Tenn., and was named CEO of TriStar Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, Tenn.
4. Dale Neely exited his role as CEO of HCA Healthcare’s Memorial Satilla Health in Waycross, Ga., and was named CEO of HCA Florida Capital Hospital in Tallahassee, Fla.
5. Michele Finney stepped down from her role as CEO of Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Calif., and will continue to serve as group CEO of Desert Care Network, which comprises Desert Regional and two other hospitals.
6. Derek Drake, DNP, RN, exited his role as CEO of Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana, Calif., and was named president of Mercy Hospital of Buffalo (N.Y.).
7. Chris Brown, RN, stepped down as CEO of Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, N.C.
April 21-24
1. Victoria Woodrow will step down as CEO of Hamilton Memorial Hospital District in McLeansboro, Ill., effective July 24.
2. Brian Dieter will retire in early August as president and CEO of Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa, a role he has held since 2008.
3. John Hennelly stepped down as CEO of Sonoma (Calif.) Valley Hospital on April 22 after four years in the role.
4. Wesley Burks, MD, CEO of Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health and dean of UNC School of Medicine, will step down from his roles effective Sept. 1.
5. Rob Anderson exited his role as CEO of Memorial Campus and Providence Children’s Hospital in El Paso, Texas, and was named CEO of Lakewood Ranch (Fla.) Medical Center.
6. Robert Brooks exited his role as interim CEO of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.
April 14-17
1. Robert Parker, who was appointed CEO of Columbus, Ga.-based St. Francis-Emory Healthcare in March, exited the role within the same month.
2. Brian Canfield stepped down as CEO of Quincy, Ill.-based Blessing Health System.
3. Hatch Smith Jr. resigned as CEO of Llano (Texas) Regional Hospital on April 15 for a new role.
4. Brett Kinman will resign as CEO of Magnolia (Ark.) Regional Medical Center, effective July 9.
5. Tony Esposito will step down as CEO of Upland, Pa.-based Crozer Health, effective April 18.
6. Gerald Cayer will retire as CEO of Lowville, N.Y.-based Lewis County Health System, effective Aug. 3, 2026.
7. Julie Freischlag, MD, will retire at the end of 2025 as CEO and chief academic officer of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, chief academic officer of Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health, and as executive vice president of health affairs at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem.
April 7-9
1. Kimberly Russo exited her role as CEO of George Washington University Hospital and group vice president for the D.C. Region of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services and was appointed CEO of Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare’s central region, effective April 28.
2. Mitch Leckelt will retire June 1 after more than 11 years as CEO of UP Health System-Bell in Ishpeming, Mich.
3. Timothy Dentry, president and CEO of Brewer, Maine-based Northern Light Health, plans to retire in 2025.
4. Richard Allen will retire June 30 as CEO of Erie, Pa.-based Warren General Hospital.
5. Charles Briscoe submitted his resignation as president and CEO of Warner Robins, Ga.-based Houston Healthcare.
March 27-April 2
1. Alec Grabowski, the network CEO of a three-hospital system in North Carolina, exited the role and was named president of OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Ill., effective April 1.
2. James Longabaugh, DO, will step down in midsummer as CEO of Sabetha (Kan.) Community Hospital.
3. Drake Lamen, MD, will retire in mid-April after 18 years as president and CEO of UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich, N.Y.
4. Marissa Kiefer, senior vice president and CEO of Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, will exit her role to become president of UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s and UH MacDonald Women’s hospitals, both in Cleveland, effective June 1.
March 21-27
1. Jennifer DeCubellis will step down May 10 as CEO of Minneapolis-based Hennepin Healthcare System.
2. Reba Celsor, RN, exited her role as CEO of Spring View Hospital in Lebanon, Ky., and was named CEO of Murray-Calloway County Hospital in Murray, Ky.
3. Stephen DelRossi resigned as CEO of Bishop, Calif.-based Northern Inyo Healthcare District.
4. Russ Johnson plans to retire in August after serving as president and CEO of Lawrence, Kan.-based LMH Health since 2016.
5. Darlene Stromstad, president and CEO of Utica, N.Y.-based Mohawk Valley Health System, plans to retire in late 2025.
6. Ed Curtis, CEO of Springfield, Ill.-based Memorial Health, plans to retire March 31.
March 13-20
1. Aundrea Lewis, RN, resigned as CEO of UofL Health-Peace Hospital, a behavioral health hospital in Louisville, Ky., effective April 18.
2. Mary Jo Cagle, MD, will step down as president and CEO of Greensboro, N.C.-based Cone Health because of a serious family health matter.
3. Jim Heckert, CEO of Christus Southern New Mexico in Alamogordo, will retire March 31.
4. Dave Henry will retire April 1 as CEO of Havre-based Northern Montana Health Care.
5. Neil Meltzer plans to retire as president and CEO of Baltimore-based LifeBridge Health.