Louisville, Ky.-based Norton Healthcare CEO Stephen A. Williams is retiring after 23 years of leading the organization.
Here are five things to know:
1. Mr. Williams began his healthcare career in 1972 as a hospital administrator in Kentucky. He joined Norton Healthcare in 1977 as an assistant to the executive vice president.
2. He was named president and CEO in 1993. During his tenure, Norton Healthcare grew to the third largest private employer in the Louisville area, with more than 13,000 employees.
3. Additionally, Mr. Williams led the health system through hospital acquisitions and the development of the Brownsboro campus in Louisville, including the construction of Norton Brownsboro Hospital and Norton's children's outpatient center.
4. Russell F. Cox was named the new president and CEO of Norton Healthcare, effective Jan. 1, 2017.
5. Mr. Cox currently serves as president of Norton Healthcare, a role he was named to in 2013.
"The combination of Russ' more than 30 years of experience in healthcare management, together with he and Steve having worked side-by-side the last 12 years in leading Norton Healthcare, makes him uniquely suited and well positioned for stepping into the role of President and CEO," said Donald H. Robinson, chairman of Norton's board of trustees in a statement. "This has been a nine-year thoughtfully planned transition process, so the patients served by Norton Healthcare, its employees, physicians, affiliates and partners can all be assured that Norton's focus on its mission, vision and values will continue seamlessly."