Healthcare Executive Search Success Stories
No two executive searches are exactly alike. A healthcare organization may be replacing a highly successful leader, navigating an unexpected leadership transition, recruiting in a difficult geographic market, responding to rapid growth, or working against an exceptionally tight timeline.
HealthSearch Partners helps hospitals, health systems, academic institutions and other healthcare organizations navigate those challenges with a search process tailored to the organization, the role and the people involved. Explore these success stories to see how HSP has helped clients recruit CEOs, human resources executives, finance leaders, revenue cycle executives and other senior leaders by understanding each organization’s needs, identifying the right candidates and staying focused on fit throughout the search.
Browse Success Stories by Leadership Area
CEO & President Searches
SUCCESS STORY
Finding a CEO Who Could Lead with Mission and Momentum
SEARCH
Chief Executive Officer
ORGANIZATION
Holy Cross Hospital
LOCATION
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
PRIMARY CONTACT
Ane McNeil, Chief Human Resources Officer
SELECTED EXECUTIVE
Mark Doyle
THE CHALLENGE
Holy Cross Hospital needed a CEO who could embody the values of a faith-based, nonprofit organization while strengthening financial performance and building meaningful relationships with physicians, donors and the community. The leadership profile required an unusual combination of change leadership, financial acumen, interpersonal skills and alignment with the hospital’s mission.
HSP'S APPROACH
HealthSearch Partners invested heavily in understanding the organization before recruiting candidates, including meeting with more than 50 physicians to identify the responsibilities and challenges facing the incoming CEO. HSP worked closely with the search committee to understand Holy Cross’s culture and values, maintain communication throughout the process and present a diverse candidate slate within a tight timeline.
SUCCESS STORY
Finding a CEO to Lead Community Residences into the Future
SEARCH
Chief Executive Officer
ORGANIZATION
Community Residences (CRi)
LOCATION
Chantilly, Virginia
PRIMARY CONTACT
Andrew Schneider, Chair, Executive Search Committee
SELECTED EXECUTIVE
Justin Zakia
THE CHALLENGE
With its longtime CEO preparing to retire, CRi needed a leader who could guide the organization through changing community needs, growing demand for services and its next phase of growth. The board also wanted a search partner that understood CRi’s mission, could provide candid guidance and could manage a complex nationwide CEO search without losing sight of organizational fit.
HSP'S APPROACH
HSP conducted in-depth surveys of board members, leadership and staff to understand CRi’s culture, mission and expectations for its next CEO. The nearly nine-month process emphasized both executive qualifications and mission fit, while HSP provided the administrative guidance and consistent consultant involvement the search committee wanted.
SUCCESS STORY
Meeting High Expectations on a Six-Week CEO Search
SEARCH
President and Chief Executive Officer
ORGANIZATION
Adventist HealthCare
LOCATION
Gaithersburg, Maryland
PRIMARY CONTACTS
Emmanuel Asiedu, Chairman, Adventist HealthCare Board of Directors
Carlos Vargas, Vice President of Human Resources and Technology and Chief Human Resources Officer, Howard University Hospital
SELECTED EXECUTIVE
John Sackett
THE CHALLENGE
When Adventist HealthCare’s long-serving President and CEO announced his departure, the board needed to conduct a nationwide search and have a successor in place by early August. The approximately six-week timeline was paired with demanding selection criteria, including leadership character, operational experience, understanding of Maryland healthcare, alignment with the organization’s faith-based mission and the ability to advance its Vision 2030 strategic plan.
HSP'S APPROACH
HSP combined its healthcare network with knowledge of mission-based organizations to accelerate the search without abandoning a thorough assessment process. The team evaluated internal and external candidates, incorporated stakeholder input and remained flexible as challenges arose, helping Adventist HealthCare complete the CEO search within its compressed timeframe.
Human Resources Leadership Searches
SUCCESS STORY
Supporting Growth with the Right Senior HR Leader
SEARCH
Vice President of Human Resources
ORGANIZATION
MedSrv
LOCATION
Chattanooga, Tennessee
PRIMARY CONTACTS
Dusty Bunton, Chief Executive Officer
SELECTED EXECUTIVE
Tammy Cotter
THE CHALLENGE
Rapid growth had changed the scale and complexity of MedSrv’s workforce, making director-level HR leadership no longer sufficient for the organization’s needs. MedSrv needed a senior HR executive with the experience to support a growing employee population while also fitting the company’s faith-based, mission-oriented culture.
HSP'S APPROACH
Because MedSrv had never conducted an executive search, HSP provided a structured process that helped leadership define its requirements, understand the market and develop a strong candidate pool. HSP worked closely with the search committee, used questionnaires and discovery to understand the organization and its culture, and maintained clear communication throughout the process before presenting a highly qualified slate.
SUCCESS STORY
Finding the Right CHRO on a Compressed Timeline
SEARCH
Chief Human Resources Officer
ORGANIZATION
Erlanger
LOCATION
Chattanooga, Tennessee
PRIMARY CONTACT
Jim Coleman, President and Chief Executive Officer
SELECTED EXECUTIVE
Wendy Fournet
THE CHALLENGE
Erlanger needed an experienced CHRO quickly as the health system faced significant workforce issues requiring senior-level strategic guidance. The organization needed more than a traditional operational HR leader, it wanted someone who could understand Erlanger’s culture, address immediate needs and bring a strategic perspective to the function.
HSP'S APPROACH
HSP developed an accelerated search timeline and immediately began sourcing candidates against Erlanger’s specific requirements. Within weeks, the search committee was able to screen, interview and select from a pool of highly qualified candidates developed through HSP’s healthcare executive network.
SUCCESS STORY
Placing a CHRO During an Executive Leadership Transition
SEARCH
Chief Human Resources Officer
ORGANIZATION
Great River Health
LOCATION
West Burlington, Iowa
PRIMARY CONTACT
SELECTED EXECUTIVE
Michael Yost
THE CHALLENGE
Great River Health’s CHRO search was already underway when the organization’s president, HSP’s primary contact, suddenly left. As new CEO Dr. Michael McCoy stepped into leadership and the organization worked to stabilize operations, HSP had to maintain momentum on an important executive search while helping a new decision-maker enter the process midstream.
HSP'S APPROACH
HealthSearch Partners had already identified three potential candidates, including Michael Yost, when the leadership transition occurred. When Yost withdrew over concerns about organizational stability, HSP helped reopen the conversation between him and Dr. McCoy, allowing both sides to address those concerns directly and ultimately determine that his experience, goals and personality aligned with Great River Health’s needs.
Finance & Revenue Cycle Leadership Searches
SUCCESS STORY
Patience Pays Off in a Rural Hospital Finance Search
SEARCH
Director of Finance
ORGANIZATION
Columbia Memorial Hospital
LOCATION
Astoria, Oregon
PRIMARY CONTACTS
Brandon Parker, CFO and Vice President of Finance
SELECTED EXECUTIVE
Julie Stewart
THE CHALLENGE
Columbia Memorial Hospital needed an experienced finance leader for a rapidly growing critical access hospital in a picturesque but rural market. Recruiting was particularly difficult because of the specialized finance expertise required, the hospital’s remote location and the need to find someone who would fit a high-performing leadership team.
HSP'S APPROACH
HSP began with in-person meetings to understand the organization, leadership team and specific qualifications required for the role, including critical access hospital experience. Rather than promising a quick placement, HSP set realistic expectations about the recruiting challenge and conducted a deliberate search that ultimately surfaced an experienced former CFO whose background closely matched Columbia Memorial’s immediate needs.
SUCCESS STORY
How Phoebe Putney Teamed With HealthSearch Partners to Win its Quest for a VP Revenue Cycle
SEARCH
Vice President, Revenue Cycle
ORGANIZATION
Phoebe Putney Health System
LOCATION
Albany, Georgia
PRIMARY CONTACT
Brian Church, CFO and Chief Administrative Officer
SELECTED EXECUTIVE
Jacob (Jake) Collins
THE CHALLENGE
Phoebe Putney was not trying to turn around an underperforming revenue cycle function. It needed a proven executive who could meet the high standard established by the previous leader, in a role where successful executives are often difficult to recruit away from organizations where they have built strong careers.
HSP'S APPROACH
Drawing on a longstanding relationship with Phoebe Putney, HSP developed and vetted an initial candidate slate against the organization’s high standards. When the first group did not produce the right fit, HSP and Phoebe Putney chose not to compromise, restarting the search with a new slate that ultimately led to Jacob Collins.
Nursing & Academic Leadership Searches
SUCCESS STORY
Timing Was Everything in Polk State College’s Dean of Nursing Search
SEARCH
Dean, School of Nursing
ORGANIZATION
Polk State College
LOCATION
Winter Haven, Florida
PRIMARY CONTACT
Michael Bleich, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Interim Dean
SELECTED EXECUTIVE
Deleise Wilson, MA-ED, Ph.D., RN, CSSGB
THE CHALLENGE
Growing enrollment, increasing interest in nursing and strong demand for graduates put new pressure on Polk State College’s nursing program. The College needed a visionary academic clinician who could provide steady leadership, help recruit and retain faculty, and position the program for its next stage of growth.
HSP'S APPROACH
HealthSearch Partners first helped Polk State identify experienced nursing executive Michael Bleich to provide interim leadership while the national search moved forward. Working with College leadership, HSP helped evaluate qualifications, develop interview questions and guide the process through candidate interviews and campus visits, ultimately identifying Deleise Wilson as the standout candidate.
SUCCESS STORY
Bringing Nursing Leadership Back to the C-Suite at Unity Health
SEARCH
Chief Nursing Officer
ORGANIZATION
Unity Health
LOCATION
Searcy, Arkansas
PRIMARY CONTACT
Mark Amox, Chief Executive Officer
SELECTED EXECUTIVE
Karen Labonte, MSN
THE CHALLENGE
Unity Health had been without a Chief Nursing Officer for several years and had recently completed an executive leadership transition. New CEO Mark Amox made recruiting a CNO an immediate priority, seeking a leader who could give nurses a voice in the C-suite while fitting the system’s faith-centered culture and making a long-term commitment to the Searcy community.
HSP'S APPROACH
Having recently recruited Amox as Unity Health’s CEO, HSP already understood the organization but approached the CNO search with fresh discovery, gathering input from the CEO, leadership team and board. HSP thoroughly vetted candidates against Unity Health’s leadership, cultural and geographic requirements, ultimately identifying Arkansas native Karen Labonte as a strong fit for both the organization and its nursing team.
