Hospitals reported six CEO exits in March — a 60% drop from 15 in February and a 25% decrease from March 2024.
The finding is from an April 30 report that examines CEO turnover in the U.S. from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an executive coaching firm.
Hospitals announced 31 CEO exits in the first quarter of 2025, compared to 34 during the same period in 2024, according to the report.
Across 29 industries and sectors, 646 CEOs announced departures in the first three months of 2025, up 4% from the 622 CEO exits that occurred during the same quarter last year.
In March specifically, 177 CEO exits were reported — a 28% decrease from 247 in February and a 2% drop from 180 in March 2024.
“After a record-breaking start to the year, companies have slowed a bit on changing their top leader, though historically, it remains a high number,” said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president and labor expert for Challenger.
“We certainly continue to face economic uncertainty as tariffs, federal job and funding cuts, new regulation, and falling consumer confidence hit companies nationally,” he added.
In healthcare, Becker’s has reported at least 70 hospital and health system CEO exits since Jan. 2, including retirements and resignations.
