Ron Werft, president and CEO of Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Cottage Health, will retire in 2025 after 24 years at the helm.
And when it comes to succession planning, it is important to recognize it is a continuous process, he told Becker's.
There has been a plan in place for years to have someone prepared to fill leadership roles if needed, he said. That strategy is presented to the system's board annually and helps hold the team accountable in that planning.
When it comes to his own role, Mr. Werft said he has had a conversation each year for the past five years with board Chair Steven Zola to discuss his plans.
"When it became clear to me that it was time to move on to my next chapter, I started that conversation in a serious way with our board chair about a year ago," he said. "We prepared by confidentially meeting with leaders of search firms, kind of thinking about the timing of my retirement in comparison with the turnover that we have among board members and board leadership."
Mr. Werft and Mr. Zola announced the retirement plans to their organization at the end of July. By that time, they had a search firm selected and a plan to appoint the search committee.
Flexibility and aligning stakeholders on the plan have been the most vital factors in creating a smooth transition, Mr. Werft said.
Developing a profile of what the system needs in its next CEO has been key as well, he said. It was important to solicit input from more than 100 people — including medical staff, executive leaders and community and board members — in crafting the profile.
Another significant part of the transition is he did not provide a final date in the role.
"The board has total flexibility in doing this search, and I will be here when the next CEO takes this position and I will be available to assist as much as is needed," Mr. Werft said. "Whether that's a day or two or a month or two, I will totally follow the direction of the next person in this office."
After 37 total years with the system, Mr. Werft said he is most proud of the organization's culture, built on a prioritization of patients and community health and on shared governance, he said.
"It is a belief that people on the front lines, the people at the bedside, on the tray line, the lab bench, really have the best solutions to the challenges of the organization," he said.
Mr. Werft also noted Cottage Health's workforce housing project as a major accomplishment. The system built 115 homes in Santa Barbara and has sold 70% of them to employees at about one-third of market rate, which "has resulted in people staying with the organization and taking care of our community," he said.
"I can't have this conversation without saying what an incredible honor and experience it has been to be with this organization as long as I have," Mr. Werft said. "It's been a gift for me that I am just incredibly grateful for."