In cases Becker’s has reported, hospitals and health systems that named permanent CEOs in 2026 took longer to fill than those in 2025. Several organizations have been led by interim CEOs for five months or more.
Key points:
1. The wait is longer. In 11 cases Becker’s has reported this year where an interim CEO was followed by a permanent pick, the median time period from the interim’s start to the permanent announcement was 155 days. In six comparable 2025 cases, the median was 127 days. The 2026 figure doesn’t include seats still open, so the actual wait may be longer.
2. Several seats have been open for months. As of Oct. 20, six organizations had been led by interim CEOs for more than 140 days with no permanent CEO announced: Lewiston-based Central Maine Healthcare (since Feb. 17), Ogdensburg, N.Y.-based North Star Health Alliance (since early March), Ascension Wisconsin in Glendale (since April 17), Abilene, Texas-based Hendrick Health (since May 29), Chesapeake (Va.) Regional Healthcare (since May 30) and Rockville Centre, N.Y.-based Catholic Health on Long Island (since June 2).
3. Promoting the interim is faster. Organizations that promoted their interim generally filled the seat sooner: West Burlington, Iowa-based Great River Health (52 days), Flemington, N.J.-based Hunterdon Health (89), Mammoth Lakes, Calif.-based Mammoth Hospital (90), Buckhannon, W.Va.-based WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s (150) and Wailuku, Hawaii-based Maui Health (169). Organizations that named a different leader took longer: Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (179), Kearney (Neb.) Regional Medical Center (202) and McLaren Port Huron (Mich.) (236).
4. More interims are getting the job. Becker’s has reported 18 interim-to-permanent CEO promotions in 2026 through Aug. 3, compared with 15 in all of 2025. At Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Fla., Shane Strum had led the system on an interim basis since 2024 before both hospital district boards voted Sept. 2 to make him permanent.
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