The board of Lancaster, Calif.-based Antelope Valley Hospital extended the contract of CEO Edward Mirzabegian to January 2026, according to the Antelope Valley Press.
Mr. Mirzabegian's contract was previously set to expire at the end of 2023, the newspaper reported.
Board members touted accomplishments including the ongoing emergency department expansion and pandemic-related activities.
"The hospital is moving in an upward trajectory, and we needed to act now to secure our future. The board required reassurance that we were going to have a CEO that understands this hospital, the needs of the population we serve, and the financial and operational knowledge needed to grow our hospital. Ed is that person — we continue to have confidence in his ability and are pleased to secure his commitment to AVH," Abdallah Farrukh, MD, Antelope Valley Healthcare District board chair, said in a statement shared with Becker's.
The contract extension comes about a year after the union representing about 900 nurses at Antelope Valley Hospital circulated a no-confidence petition on the performance of Mr. Mirzabegian.
At the time of the petition, California Nurses Association/National Nurses United members cited concerns about staffing and patient care. The union also contended that hospital administration was not prepared during the COVID-19 surge at the end of 2020 and wasn't doing enough to recruit and retain nurses.
Hospital officials disputed the union's allegations, and in response to the petition, the hospital board passed a vote of total confidence in the CEO.
Mr. Mirzabegian became CEO of Antelope Valley Hospital in December 2018, after the hospital's former CEO and CFO departed one month before.