Cerner CEO and Chair Brent Shafer will depart from his position, the Kansas City, Mo.-based EHR company said May 5.
Cerner announced news of Mr. Shafer's departure during its first quarter of 2021 earnings call; for the quarter, which ended March 31, the company posted $1.39 billion in revenue, down 2 percent compared to $1.41 billion during the same period last year. Cerner attributed the decrease to the pandemic and divestitures.
Mr. Shafer and Cerner's board have initiated the process to find Cerner's next CEO, the company said. Cerner's board has formed a CEO search committee and has hired an executive search firm to assist with the process.
Mr. Shafer, who joined Cerner in January 2018, will serve as chair and CEO until the board chooses a successor. He will then also serve as a senior adviser for one year. Cerner appointed Mr. Shafer as CEO after the death of the company's founder Neal Patterson in July 2017.
"Cerner is on the right trajectory, with increased financial guidance based on actions we are taking to improve performance," Mr. Shafer said in the news release. "With the support of the entire organization, we have simplified the business while implementing a new operating model to make Cerner more efficient and effective. We have strengthened our senior leadership team, including the recent addition of Mark Erceg as our CFO, and I believe we now have the right team assembled to drive our company forward."