The Southern Coos Health District's board of directors terminated Jim Wathen as interim CEO of Bandon, Ore.-based Southern Coos Hospital and Health Center after only two and a half months, according to a Brandon Western World report. The board members declined to give a reason for Mr. Wathen's sudden dismissal, but they publicly thanked him for his service.
The board named Mr. Wathen interim CEO in August, following former CEO Charles Johnston's termination. Mr. Johnston was terminated "without cause," according to a previous report.
This is the second time the Southern Coos Health District's board has dismissed Mr. Wathen. He had served as CEO for 17 years before being terminated in 2012. At the time, the board had stated he was fired "not for cause, but for convenience of the district." When Mr. Wathen was re-hired, board member David Allen, said he cares about the hospital and its employees and he "knows the territory."
The board appointed former hospital CFO Allen Dow as interim CEO, until a permanent replacement is found.
"We are looking forward to having a new CEO very soon," Carol Acklin, another board member, wrote in an email noted the report. "The staff of the hospital continues to function normally."