SoutheastHEALTH CEO Smith to retire by end of year

The SoutheastHEALTH board of directors announced Friday that CEO Wayne Smith will retire at the end of the year.

A news release states Smith approached the board about his retirement, reminding them he will turn 65 this year. The board is seeking the help of a search firm to find his successor.

Smith became interim CEO in June 2011 after Debbie Linnes resigned, citing differences in management philosophy. He was given the CEO title within his first year.

Smith, a native of Delta, has spent much of his career working in the Cape Girardeau area. In 2004 he was vice president of advancement at Southeast Missouri State University, of which he is a graduate, and later worked for Saint Francis Medical Center before joining SoutheastHEALTH as vice president of human resources and development.

In the news release, Smith said he decided to retire because "the timing is right for me personally."

"We're not yet where we want to be, but I'm proud of the progress we've made; I feel confident that the organization is headed in the right direction, and I'll do whatever I can to assist the Board with the transition," he said.

The hospital has completed a number of expansions this year. An extended-stay outpatient recovery unit opened in June, and a new neonatal intensive care unit opened less than a month later. A medical office with 27 exam rooms and one large procedure room is scheduled to open in Dexter, Missouri, early next month.

Smith's retirement announcement comes months after two other key employees said their goodbyes. Hugh King, vice president and chief financial officer for the past four years, and Dr. Dennis Means, vice president and chief medical officer, announced simultaneously in April their plans to leave.

Means was replaced internally, and King was replaced by the CFO for a Dallas medical center.

The news release states the process of finding a new CEO could take four months or longer.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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