Watsonville Hospital appoints CEO after several rocky management changes

Steven Salyer has been appointed CEO of Watsonville (Calif.) Community Hospital after the hospital has endured several management changes in the last few years, according to a July 23 Good Times report.

Advertisement

Seven things to know:

  1. Mr. Salyer started the role July 6. He previously served as the COO of UP Health System-Marquette (Mich.). Before that, he was the CEO of Sebastian (Fla.) River Medical Center and COO of Vero Beach, Fla.-based Indian River Medical Center.
  2. At the California hospital, Mr. Salyer will ensure operational success by building strong partnerships with the medical staff to enhance clinical quality and patient safety, he said in a news release.
  3. Mr. Salyer said the hospital intends to launch a cardiac catheterization lab, increase its cancer care and begin interventional radiology. The hospital is also seeking partnerships with other providers to improve complex services such as liver transplants.
  4. The CEO is coming into the role after several turbulent shifts in management for the hospital, Good Times reported. In June 2019, Los Angeles-based Halsen Healthcare purchased the hospital from Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health, which later filed for bankruptcy in April 2020. 
  5. The sale was halted when Watsonville Community Health Trust said it wanted to buy the hospital instead. However, the trust couldn’t secure funding, and Halsen purchased the hospital in October 2019. Soon after, Halsen sold the building and property to Medical Properties Trust and then leased it from them in a leaseback.
  6. In January 2021, the hospital’s board said it ousted Halsen from its leadership role because it failed to meet “financial obligations to various stakeholders,” Good Times reported. Medical Properties Trust owns the property and contracts Prospect Medical Holdings to oversee operations.
  7. The hospital is in much better financial shape than it was under the previous management, and the board is in talks to plan the future of the hospital’s leadership, Mr. Salyer said.

Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit

Advertisement

Next Up in Executive Moves

  • Rosanna Morris, BSN, RN, has been named president and CEO of Dayton-based Premier Health, effective in the first quarter of…

  • Several women have recently stepped into new executive roles at hospitals and health systems — including through promotions, new appointments…

Advertisement

Comments are closed.