Hospitals reported 104 CEO exits in 2024, a 29% decline from 146 in 2023.
The finding is from a Jan. 30 report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an executive coaching firm that examines CEO turnover in the U.S.
Hospitals announced three CEO exits in December 2024, compared to 11 in November 2024 and 10 in December 2023, according to the report.
Across the 29 industries and sectors measured, 2,221 CEOs announced their departures in 2024, up 16% from the 1,914 CEO exits that occurred in 2023. This marks the highest total since Challenger began tracking CEO changes in 2002.
"The environment of economic, political and regulatory uncertainty that prevailed in 2024 certainly led to many CEO exits," Andrew Challenger, workplace authority and senior vice president of Challenger, said in the report.
"With that as a backdrop, we also saw rapid technological advancement and boards that were laser focused on efficiency and productivity. If CEOs were perceived to be lacking, they were not tolerated," Mr. Challenger said.
Within healthcare, Becker's has reported 20 hospital and health system CEO departures so far in 2025, including retirements.