Becker’s has reported on more than 130 hospital and health system CEO exits, including retirements and resignations, since Jan. 6. Of those exiting CEOs, roughly 43 resigned without announcing future plans.
Hospital CEO exits slowed slightly in May compared to April, but turnover continues to outpace 2025 to date, according to a June 29 report from executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Summer 2026 has brought a wave of leadership transitions, including at some of the country’s largest systems, as leaders face financial headwinds, workforce pressure and heightened complexity. Some of those departures involve CEOs who are not retiring and have not specified future plans, including Gianrico Farrugia, MD, who announced in May that he plans to step down as president and CEO of Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic at the end of 2026, and Christopher O’Connor, who is stepping down as CEO of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health.
Here’s where the CEOs who shared next steps are headed:
1. Retirement. Retirement remains the single biggest driver of CEO turnover in 2026, with about 50 CEOs announcing plans to step away from the role entirely. Several departing leaders had long tenures, including Barclay Berdan, who in March shared plans to retire as CEO of Arlington-based Texas Health Resources in September after four decades with the system.
2. New systems, new regions. About 20 CEOs exited to lead other hospitals or health systems, several moving into different regions or joining new parent organizations altogether. Patrick Frias, MD, for example, plans to exit his role as co-president and CEO of Rady Children’s Health in Southern California to become the next CEO of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
3. Executive chairman and board roles. Multiple CEOs stepped back from day-to-day leadership into executive chairman or board chair roles rather than exiting their organizations outright. Barry Arbuckle, PhD, stepped down July 1 as CEO of Fountain Valley, Calif.-based MemorialCare after 24 years to become the system’s executive chairman. Similarly, Rob Jay, CEO of Louisville, Ky.-based ScionHealth since its formation in 2021, stepped down in June to become executive chairman, and Michael Wagner, MD, plans to step down as president and CEO of Providence, R.I.-based Care New England to become chair of the system’s board of directors.
4. Different C-suite roles. A handful of departing CEOs moved into other operational or executive roles rather than another CEO seat. Anu Banerjee, PhD, exited his role as CEO of California Health Care Facility in Stockton and was named COO of Utica, N.Y.-based Mohawk Valley Health System. Joseph Marchant exited his role as CEO of Bibb Medical Center in Centreville, Ala., and was named executive vice president and chief integration and network development officer for Opelika-based East Alabama Health.
5. Moves outside healthcare or into association leadership. A few departing CEOs left hospital operations altogether. William Calhoun, chief executive of Missoula-based Providence Montana, stepped down in March to pursue executive coaching. Thomas Quatroche Jr., PhD, exited his role as CEO of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Erie County Medical Center Corp., to become president and CEO of the Healthcare Association of New York State.
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