Billings (Mont.) Clinic fired CEO Randall Gibb, MD, effective May 21, according to a Billings Gazette report.
The organization's board of directors declined to discuss details of the termination, citing employee confidentiality, the Gazette reported.
Dr. Gibb became CEO in July 2017, prior to being interim CEO and CMO. He joined Billings Clinic, a physician-led multispecialty group practice with a 304-bed hospital and a level 2 trauma center, in 2006, providing care as a gynecologic oncologist.
Billings Clinic named Robert Merchant, MD, and John Schallenkamp, MD, interim co-CEOs. Dr. Merchant is CMO of the organization and a practicing pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine physician, while Dr. Schallenkamp is medical director of the Billings Clinic Cancer Center and a practicing radiation oncologist. Dr. Schallenkamp is also a member of Billings' board.
Dr. Schallenkamp told the Gazette that the organization decided to appoint co-CEOs because both he and Dr. Merchant are still practicing.
"I would say it would be kind of difficult to drop our patients and practices," he said, according to the report. "So together, we're going to be able to fulfill all our requirements."
The organization plans to select a single CEO as a permanent replacement for Dr. Gibb, Dr. Schallenkamp told the Gazette.