Three hospital CEOs have returned to their former workplaces in the past month.
While "boomerang" employees make up a small portion of the workforce, they are more common in healthcare than in other industries, LinkedIn found in 2023.
On average, employees take about four years to return to a former employer, according to LinkedIn. For these healthcare leaders, the gap was between two and five years.
Here are the healthcare boomerang CEOs Becker's has reported on since Oct. 16:
1. Dan Barbee, BSN, CEO of University of Toledo Medical Center (Ohio)
Mr. Barbee returned to the role Nov. 8 after serving as CEO from 2016 to 2020.
He joined the hospital in 2011 as chief nursing officer, later becoming vice president of clinical services and COO.
After leaving in 2020, Mr. Barbee became president of rural markets for Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health.
2. Aurelio Fernandez III, Interim CEO of Memorial Regional Hospital (Hollywood, Fla.)
Mr. Fernandez retired as president and CEO of Hollywood, Fla.-based Memorial Healthcare System in 2022. He spent nearly two decades with the system before becoming COO in 2012 and CEO in 2016.
After retiring, Mr. Fernandez served as interim CEO at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and later as executive-in-residence at the system's corporate offices, a role he will continue alongside his recent interim CEO appointment.
3. Chad Patrick, CEO of HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital
Mr. Patrick previously served as CEO of the hospital for six years, leaving in 2019. He then became CEO of HCA Mission Hospital in Asheville, N.C.