As CEO exits continue to climb, some hospitals and health systems are looking internally to fill the roles they leave behind. But in a C-suite full of talent, who is best poised to take the helm?
Becker's sorted up this year's internal CEO promotions by the appointee's most recent C-suite role. Chief operating officers advanced to the helm most often, significantly outpacing their counterparts. Chief medical officers also saw a fair amount of CEO promotions, and a few other C-level roles traveled unconventional paths to the top.
Editor's notes: Some of these leaders held dual-C-suite roles before their promotion to CEO. Their moves are listed under all applicable job titles.
This is not an exhaustive list of CEO moves, and only accounts for internal promotions within a hospital or health system since January 2023. To submit one we've missed, email akayser@beckershealthcare.com.
Chief operating officer — 27 promotions
1. Cindy Meyer was promoted from COO to interim president and CEO of Oconomowoc, Wis.-based Rogers Behavioral Health.
2. Rozanna Penney, CRNA, chief nursing officer and COO, vice president of patient care services, and executive director of Heywood Medical Group, was named co-CEO of Gardner, Mass.-based Heywood Healthcare as part of a new leadership structure.
3. Nichole Geraci was promoted from COO to president and CEO of Kittanning. Pa.-based ACMH Hospital.
4. Chad Grant was named interim CEO of McLaren Northern Michigan in Petoskey, where he served as chief operating officer.
5. Brian Canfield was promoted from COO to president and CEO of Quincy, Ill.-based Blessing Health.
6. Jill Wehner, COO and vice president of fiscal services for Harbor Beach (Mich.) Community Hospital, was named president and CEO.
7. Paige Laughlin was promoted from COO to interim CEO of HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton, part of HCA Healthcare.
8. Darrin Smith, former vice president and COO of Pueblo, Colo.-based Parkview Health System, was named CEO.
9. Corey Lovelace was promoted from COO of HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami to CEO of HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital in Port St. Lucie.
10. Fred Valtairo, BSN, RN, was named CEO of Placentia-Linda (Calif.) Hospital, part of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare. He used to serve as the hospital's COO.
11. Jamie Yoo was named CEO of CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. He previously served as the health system's chief strategic operating officer.
12. Lynn Buskill, chief operating officer of John C. Fremont Healthcare District in Mariposa, Calif., was named interim CEO.
13. Wally De Aquino was promoted from COO of AdventHealth Palm Coast (Fla.) to president and CEO of its new Parkway hospital.
14. Dave Hyatt was promoted from chief operating officer to president and CEO of Noblesville, Ind.-based Riverview Health.
15. Stephen Bowerman was named president and CEO of Midland (Texas) Health, where he most recently served as COO.
16. Crystal Hayden, DNP, RN, was promoted from COO of Rocky Mount, N.C.-based UNC Health Nash to president and CEO of UNC Health Lenoir.
17. Lori Rakes, RN, was promoted from COO to CEO of Piedmont Cartersville (Ga.) Medical Center.
18. Matko Vranjes, COO of Watsonville (Calif.) Community Hospital, was named its interim CEO.
19. Seth Kronenberg, MD, was named president and CEO of Syracuse, N.Y.-based Crouse Health after serving as its joint chief operating officer/chief medical officer.
20. Tom Frank, who once served as COO of North Country Hospital in Newport, Vt., returned to assume the CEO title.
21. Robin Hynds, MSN, RN, COO of Lawrence (Mass.) General Hospital, was named interim CEO.
22. Buffy Key, COO of Cookeville (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center, was named interim CEO.
23. Cara Beatty, MD, was promoted from COO to chief executive of Providence Clinical Network for Eastern Washington and Montana.
24. Lloyd Guidry Jr., PharmD, transitioned from COO to CEO of Galliano, La.-based Lady of the Sea General Hospital.
25. Michael Backus was promoted from executive vice president and COO to president and CEO of Oswego (N.Y.) Health.
26. Howard Chrisman, MD, was named CEO of Chicago-based Northwestern Memorial HealthCare after serving as president and chief operating officer.
27. Cathy Edmisten, RN, was tapped as CEO of HCA Florida South Shore Hospital in Sun City Center after serving as COO of HCA Virginia Johnston-Willis Hospital in Richmond.
Chief medical officer — 8 promotions
1. Clint Seger, MD, was promoted from interim to permanent CEO of Billings (Mont.) Clinic, where he served eight years as regional chief medical officer.
2. Monica Hum, MD, was promoted from chief medical officer to CEO of Piedmont Rockdale Hospital in Conyers, Ga.
3. Saba Habis, MD, moved from the chief medical officer role in HCA Healthcare South Atlantic Division to the CEO role at HCA's West Hills (Calif.) Hospital.
4. Sebastian Strom, MD, was named CEO of HCA Florida Largo Hospital after leading HCA Healthcare's South Atlantic Division as chief medical officer.
5. Seth Kronenberg, MD, was named president and CEO of Syracuse, N.Y.-based Crouse Health after serving as its joint chief operating officer/chief medical officer.
6. Nancy DiLiegro, PhD, was named president and CEO of Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, N.J., where she previously served as chief clinical officer.
7. Gene Ma, MD, was promoted from chief medical officer to interim president and CEO of Oceanside, Calif.-based Tri-City Healthcare District.
8. Michelle Krause, MD, was named senior vice chancellor for UAMS Health and CEO of UAMS Medical Center after serving as the health system's chief clinical officer.
Chief financial officer — 4 promotions
1. Joy Coulston was promoted from CFO to CEO of Powell (Wyo.) Valley Hospital.
2. Jeremiah Sweet, the CFO of Oneida (N.Y.) Health, was named interim president and CEO of the health system.
3. Jared Stimpson was named CEO of Tell City, Ind.-based Perry County Memorial Hospital, an affiliate of Evansville, Ind.-based Deaconess Health System. He previously served as regional CFO and director of affiliated hospitals for Deaconess.
4. Amber Williams was promoted from CFO to CEO of Liberal, Kan.-based Southwest Medical Center.
Chief nursing officer — 2 promotions
1. Rozanna Penney, CRNA, chief nursing officer and COO, vice president of patient care services and executive director of Heywood Medical Group, was named co-CEO of Gardner, Mass.-based Heywood Healthcare as part of a new leadership structure.
2. Maralyn Militello, BSN, RN, was promoted from chief nursing officer to CEO of Eastern Niagara Hospital in Lockport, N.Y., which is set to close June 17.
Chief administrative officer — 1 promotion
1. Chris Blair, BSN, was named CEO of Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville (Ark.) after serving as the interim. He previously served as chief administrative officer of another hospital within Springdale, Ark.-based Northwest Health.
Chief ancillary officer — 1 promotion
1. Dawn Unruh, MSN, RN, was named CEO of Artesian Valley Health System in Meade, Kan., where she previously served as corporate compliance and chief ancillary officer.
Chief information officer — 1 promotion
1. Kyle Marek has been promoted from interim to permanent president and CEO of Morehead City, N.C.-based Carteret Health Care, a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. He previously served as the hospital's chief information officer and vice president of general services.
Chief legal officer — 1 promotion
1. Jason Hannagan, Olathe (Kan.) Health's chief ambulatory/legal officer, was tapped as interim CEO.
Chief strategy officer — 1 promotion
1. Fahad Tahir was promoted from chief strategy officer to president and CEO of Nashville, Tenn.-based Ascension Saint Thomas.