Columbus Regional Health announced that Charles A. (Chuck) Stark, Chief Executive Officer, has resigned. The board of directors appointed Scott Hill, Chief Operating Officer, as interim CEO. This appointment is effective immediately. Hill will continue as COO.

Stark joined Columbus Regional Health in 2012. He has more than 25 years of experience in hospital and health system management including top leadership positions at healthcare institutions in Ohio, Texas and Virginia. At Columbus Regional Health, Stark oversaw the organization during a period of significant reductions in hospital reimbursements from both private and government sources, coupled with increases in demands for indigent care. Under Stark’s leadership, Columbus Regional Health underwent an organizational rebranding and extensive upgrades to Midtown Medical Center and other Columbus Regional Health facilities.

“We are grateful to Chuck Stark for his years of service and very much admire his record of accomplishments,” said Eugene (Gene) Demonet, Chairman of the Columbus Regional Health Board of Directors. “We are grateful Chuck created the strategic direction that will propel our organization forward. Our organization, and by extension the entire Columbus region, will be a better place because of Chuck’s ideas and initiatives. We are sorry to see him go but we respect his decision to move on.”

“I believe this is the right time to transition to a new Chief Executive Officer,” said Stark. “It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to lead Columbus Regional Health through a dynamic time in healthcare, and I know the institution has a very bright future. I thank the directors, the management team, our medical and administrative staff for their support and confidence during my tenure.”

Newly appointed interim CEO Scott Hill joined Columbus Regional Health as Chief Operating Officer in October 2012. Previously, Hill was the CEO of LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, a Hospital Corporation of America facility, in Blacksburg, Va. “As interim CEO, I look forward to continuing the vision of Columbus Regional Health becoming nationally recognized for clinical outcomes and world‐famous service,” said Hill. “It’s a direction set by Chuck Stark and the leadership team. It is a strategy for growth and sustainability that will be achieved by an amazing team of professional medical staff, management, employees and volunteers.”

As the region’s leading provider of healthcare, Columbus Regional Health has touched the lives of most of the children and adults in this region through its comprehensive network of services. Located in the West Georgia city of Columbus, Columbus Regional Health was established in 1986 as a not‐for‐profit health services organization, but its roots can be traced back to 1836 when the local hospital was a small wooden building on the banks of the Chattahoochee River. Today, Columbus Regional Health has grown to become the region’s healthcare leader offering compassionate care and an unwavering commitment to the residents of the region through its various facilities, programs and services. These include Midtown Medical Center, Doctors Specialty Hospital, Northside Medical Center, John B. Amos Cancer Center, The Children's Hospital at Midtown Medical Center, Neuroscience Institute at Midtown Medical Center, and MyCare Urgent Care Centers. More at www.columbusregional.com.