PORT ANGELES — Mark Gregson has been selected as the preferred candidate for Olympic Medical Center’s interim chief executive officer position.
The hospital board voted 5-2 during a special meeting Friday to engage with Gregson to replace outgoing CEO Darryl Wolfe, who resigned on July 31. COO Ryan Combs also resigned last week, and CFO Lorraine Cannon is resigning for personal reasons.
Board president Ann Henninger and commissioners Philip Giuntoli, Jean Hordyk, John Nutter and Penney Sanders voted for Gregson while commissioners Thom Hightower and Tom Oblak cast no votes.
Gregson was one of four candidates, all of whom appeared remotely for their interviews.
Among the candidates commissioners passed over was OMC’s Chief Physician Officer Allen Chen, whom they interviewed Friday for an hour before going into executive session and returning for their vote.
The board was prompted to consider Chen after he received an outpouring of support at Wednesday’s special meeting during which commissioners interviewed Gregson and two other candidates who had been referred by the executive search firm WittKieffer.
Commissioners were clear when they announced the search on Aug. 1 that they wanted someone with a proven track record as an interim CEO, experience with rural health care systems and a demonstrated record of turning around distressed hospitals.
Gregson met that criteria, Henninger said.
“We look forward to what he will bring to our team members, patients and community,” she said in a statement.
Chen did not have interim CEO experience.
Gregson told the board he is currently on his 21st CEO interim assignment at Merit Health River Region in Vicksburg, Miss., and that he is not interested in becoming OMC’s permanent CEO. He could start at OMC quickly, before the end of August.
Wolfe previously said he would stay on until the interim CEO comes on board.
“One of things I was impressed with was his experience in dealing with issues related to finance, that he fully understands the exigencies and is prepared to deal with him,” said Sanders, who nominated Gregson for the position.
While bringing on an interim CEO seemed attractive, Oblak said it would ultimately lead to more uncertainty when that person leaves and a permanent CEO — who could shake things up again — is hired.
“Over the past eight months, our staff and community have been living under a dark cloud,” Oblak said, reading from a statement. “First the announcement that we were seeking a partner, and if that wasn’t enough, compliance issues with the Department of Health have placed our Medicare certification in jeopardy.”
Now, it is losing three top executives within a month.
“Enough,” Oblak said.
Now that an interim CEO has been chosen, the board will start the process of recruiting a new, permanent CEO.
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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.
