After eight years as president and CEO of St. Charles Health System, Jim Diegel will step down from his leadership position once a successor CEO has been hired. The St. Charles Board of Directors will begin a national search for a new president and CEO in January 2014. Diegel will continue to serve as president and CEO until the new CEO has been hired.
“I came to Redmond and Central Oregon in 1994 with a vision to help create a regional, health delivery system,” Diegel said. “The framework for that delivery system is now in place and it is time for a fresh perspective and new leadership skill sets to lead St. Charles into the future. I have simply accomplished what I set out to do and I look forward to welcoming a new president and CEO to St. Charles.”
“Jim has achieved a long list of accomplishments over the past 20 years,” said Tom Sayeg, chair of the St. Charles Health System Board of Directors. “He played a major role in the merger between the Bend and Redmond hospitals in 2001. He introduced an operating lease between St. Charles and Pioneer Memorial Hospital in 2007 and fostered the acquisition of Mountain View Hospital in Madras in 2013. He has overseen the St. Charles strategy of creating an integrated delivery system in Central Oregon, including the growth of the St. Charles Medical Group and partnerships with physicians, clinics and other organizations.”
“St. Charles has grown to more than 3,400 employed caregivers with net revenues in excess of $600 million dollars since Jim became CEO,” Sayeg said. “He’s guided the organization through debt restructures and numerous construction and organizational initiatives.
Under Jim’s leadership, St. Charles has been recognized nationally for its quality and innovation, most recently through its strategic partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. We are very grateful to Jim for his leadership and courage to always place St. Charles in a position to best serve its patients and our communities, and we welcome his continuing contributions to the organization as St. Charles embarks on hiring the next president and CEO.”
“I look forward to working with the board of directors and the new president and CEO to ensure a smooth transition of leadership,” Diegel said.
The board of directors will provide additional information on the president and CEO recruitment process in the coming weeks.
About St. Charles Health System St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras and Redmond, and leases and operates Pioneer Memorial Hospital. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 3,400 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.
