The board of trustees for Willis-Knighton Health System in Shreveport, La., voted to extend President and CEO James Elrod's contract, despite putting a succession plan into place last year, according to KTBS 3, an ABC-affiliate TV station.
The board voted unanimously to askMr. Elrod, 81, to extend his contract by two years.
"After taking some time to consider our vote, Mr. Elrod graciously agreed to delay his retirement plans," Frank Hughes, MD, board president, said in the news release obtained by KTBS 3.
In October 2017, Mr. Elrod sent a letter to the medical staff stating that he would retire and that he and the board had a succession plan. The letter came soon after 10 Willis-Knighton Health System physicians called for his resignation in a formal statement, saying that he was inflexible and unwilling to adapt to the changing healthcare landscape. The board voted to keep Mr. Elrod on as leader of the hospital, after which Mr. Elrod announced he would retire once his successor had been identified.
Now, the board has decided that "facing a time of uncertainty and changes in the healthcare environment, our greatest advantage in the continued success of Willis-Knighton is the leadership of Jim Elrod," the statement obtained by KTBS 3 reads.