Clarinda (Iowa) Regional Health Center's CEO Christopher Stipe will not be employed by the organization, effective Dec. 31.
The critical access hospital's board of trustees voted to release Mr. Stipe from the role at a Dec. 18 meeting. While Mr. Stipe's contract is with Lincoln, Neb.-based Bryan Health System, Clarinda Regional's affiliate, he is "accountable to, and serves at the direction of, the publicly elected board of trustees," the press release notes.
"Circumstances beyond Mr. Stipe's control led the board to conclude that he would not be able to forge an effective working relationship with the newly reconstituted board in the near-term future," trustee Ron Richardson said in a statement.
Mr. Stipe has served at the helm of the hospital for more than nine years. During his tenure, he spearheaded the planning and development of a $28M replacement facility that opened in January 2012. Additionally, Mr. Stipe helped develop an orthopedic total joint replacement program through a partnership with Miller Orthopedics in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
In 2015, Mr. Stipe played a key role in transitioning the hospital's affiliation from Des Moines, Iowa-based Mercy Medical Center to Bryan Health System.
"I could not be more proud of the facility, services and quality we have built for the community over the last nine years," Mr. Stipe said in a statement. "I am so appreciative of the employees, medical staff, board and others I have had the privilege to work with. I am also thankful that so many patients and families have trusted us with their health over the years."