Jim Davidson, CEO, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center
James (Jim) F. Davidson has been appointed Chief Executive Officer for Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, effective November 1, according to a joint announcement by Kevin Moore, Chairman of Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees, and Jerry Mabry, Capella Healthcare’s Arkansas Market President. The previous CEO, Donnie Frederic, passed away in July of 2014. Chief Operating Officer Mike McCoy has been serving since that time as Interim CEO.
Davidson is coming to Russellville from Muskogee, OK, where he is Chief Operating Officer for EASTAR Health System, a 320-bed, two-campus health system serving seven counties. The main campus, formerly Muskogee Regional Medical Center, was one of the first hospitals established in Oklahoma, and has grown to become one of the state’s largest and most comprehensive facilities.
Prior to joining Capella at EASTAR in January of 2013, Davidson was COO at Westlake Hospital, 225-bed medical center in Melrose Park, IL. Previously, he served as Vice President of Ancillary and Support Services for Saint Vincent Hospital, a 321-bed teaching hospital in Worcester, MA. He began his healthcare career in 1985 as a radiology technologist at Lafayette General Medical Center in Lafayette, LA.
His healthcare leadership experience includes numerous process improvements, employee engagement and patient satisfaction initiatives, and oversight of facility renovations. While in Muskogee, Davidson oversaw the transition of Muskogee Community Hospital into a women’s and children’s specialty facility following its purchase by Capella.
Davidson earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in healthcare administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois. Additionally, he holds a Certificate in Radiology Technology from Lafayette General Medical Center in Lafayette, LA.
Kevin Moore, Chairman of the Board at Saint Mary’s, said: “We are excited about welcoming Jim to Russellville and Saint Mary’s. Our Board was impressed with his operational experience, focus on quality and his vision for the future. With Jim’s leadership, we believe we will continue the progress Saint Mary’s has made over the past several years.”
Jerry Mabry, Arkansas Market President for Capella, said: “Jim is an outstanding leader who will be an excellent fit for Saint Mary’s and the Russellville community. We appreciate the excellent job Mike McCoy has done during the interim period which allowed us to invest the time that was necessary to find the right person for this position. Mike will continue to play a valuable role as Chief Operating Officer, working closely with Jim. This is an exciting time for Saint Mary’s and for all of us privileged to serve in healthcare as there is significant opportunity ahead. I look forward to seeing the continued progress of this outstanding organization.”
“Julia and I are very excited to become part of the Russellville community,” Davidson said. “I’m honored to help lead Saint Mary’s and to build upon a very solid foundation of service to the people of this region.”
Davidson’s hobbies include hiking, camping and tennis as well as antique hunting. He and his wife Julia have two children, Abby and Megan, and two grandchildren.
About Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center and Capella Healthcare
Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center is a 170-bed acute care hospital. With a medical staff of more than 111 active physicians in 18 specialties, Saint Mary’s offers a wide range of quality healthcare services to residents of west central Arkansas, including cardiac catheterization, surgery, diagnostic radiology, cancer treatment, rehabilitation therapy, women and children’s services, home health and 24-hour emergency services. Saint Mary’s employs over 900 healthcare professionals who are dedicated to providing quality care with courtesy and compassion. For more information, visit www.SaintMarysRegional.com
Saint Mary’s is a part of Capella Healthcare, which partners with communities to build strong local healthcare systems that are known for high quality patient care and excellent service. Based in Franklin, Tenn., Capella owns and/or operates acute care and specialty hospital facilities in five states. With the philosophy that all healthcare is local, Capella collaborates with each hospital’s medical staff, board and community leadership to take care to the next level. The company has access to significant leadership and financial resources, investing in its family of hospitals to strengthen and expand services and facilities.
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