The board of directors for Palm Springs, Calif.-based Desert Healthcare District voted unanimously May 26 to terminate its CEO.
The vote to terminate the CEO without cause, in accordance with the terms of his contract, was announced after a closed session during the May 26 board meeting, according to a YouTube video posted by the district.
Chris Christensen is listed as the district’s CEO on its website. He has been CEO since June 2024 after serving in the role on an interim basis since September 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile. He joined the district as controller in October 2014, later becoming CFO and chief administrative officer.
An agenda for the May 26 meeting included an item to convene to closed session regarding “Public Employee Performance Evaluation pursuant to Government Code Section 54947 (CEO).”
Mr. Christensen spoke to the board before the closed session, alleging his annual review process began in March but had been delayed several times, including a presentation rescheduled for June, ABC affiliate KESQ reported May 27. He also defended himself against claims allegedly made by board President Kimberly Barraza about his judgment and ethics.
Desert Healthcare District is a local government agency and is primarily a grantmaking organization, according to its website. It also owns the Desert Regional Medical Center campus, which is leased to and operated by Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare.
Becker’s has reached out to Mr. Christensen, Ms. Barraza and Desert Healthcare District for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to Desert Healthcare District as a hospital and has since been corrected. Desert Healthcare District owns Desert Regional Medical Center.
