Kootenai Health has formed a search committee to find the CEO successor to Mr. Ness, who has led the system since 2010. Recruitment is expected to take six to nine months.
The new CEO will begin employment after Kootenai Health completes its conversion from a district hospital to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which is currently underway. The system’s board unanimously voted to transition to private 501(c)(3) status and operational model in May 2023.
Throughout Mr. Ness’ tenure, Kootenai Health became the third-largest health system in Idaho with more than 4,000 employees.
“It has been hard for me to think about leaving Kootenai Health, especially during and immediately after the challenges of COVID-19,” Mr. Ness said in the system news release. “I simply couldn’t leave. However, I am in my late 60s and I have decided that now is a good time to announce that I will be retiring at the beginning of 2024. There will be no gap in time between my last working day and the start date for the new CEO.”
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