Hospital CEO search narrows

A search that began with about 130 inquiries for the Spencer Hospital CEO position appears to be narrowing quickly.

Witt/Kieffer consultants Janet Oppenheimer and Beth Nelson, from the executive search firm's Oak Brook, Ill. office, presented eight resumés to the hospital's search committee Wednesday night.

The seven-member committee selected five of the candidates, who will be brought to Spencer for the first round of interviews.

The hospital has been without a president and CEO since Oct. 13, when members of Spencer Hospital's Board of Trustees voted to end the contract of Doug Doorn.

Jason Harrington was vice president of operations at the time of Doorn's departure. He has been serving as the interim CEO.

The search committee includes John Rahn and Neal Conover of the Spencer Hospital Board of Trustees. It has three physician members: Rick Wilkerson, David Christ and Bruce Feldmann.

The hospital board asked a pair of community leaders to fill the final two spots. They are Leon Rodas, the General Manager at Spencer Municipal Utilities and Kathy Evert, the President and CEO of the Iowa Great Lakes Corridor Development Corporation.

Two or perhaps three finalists will be presented to the Spencer Hospital Board of Trustees, who will make a final decision.

"Within the next 30 days there will be people coming to Spencer -- all of whom have the credentials and the qualifications we're looking for," Rahn said. "From there, we would select to candidates that would come forward to be considered. We would hope to have the process wrapped up within the next 45 to 60 days."

Rahn said the hospital is looking for candidates who had an understanding of Spencer's rural healthcare market, an ability to work with various organizations and someone who could maintain strong relationships with the physicians,

All of the resumes reviewed by the search committee Wednesday night came from potential administrators who currently have roots in the Midwest.

"We were really pleased with the quality of the people they brought forth," Rahn said. "They all have extensive experience. There's varying ages, but in all of the areas that we're looking for, in all of these people, Witt/Kieffer feels they could fill the position."