Jim Cole, president and CEO of Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, announced Dec. 2 that he plans to retire next year.
Mr. Cole will officially step down from his role on Sept. 1, 2020, after more than 25 years at the helm and 35 years with the medical center, according to a statement. "I am really going to miss working with each of you who every day makes a tremendous difference in so many lives," Mr. Cole said in a message to staff that was emailed to Becker's. "This will give the board time to find the right leader to join you in continuing our mission 'to be the best.'"
Mr. Cole's tenure, which spans one-third of the hospital's existence, has been influential in shaping what is now a 394-bed teaching facility. Mr. Cole is credited with leading the transformation of Virginia Hospital Center from a small community hospital to an award-winning medical center that proudly operates as a successful "stand-alone institution in an era of consolidation."
"I am confident that I'm leaving at a time when the quality of patient care and safety is at an all-time high and that our health system and hospital is well-positioned strategically and financially for the future," Mr. Cole said in the statement.
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