Franklin Community Health Network’s president to retire at year’s end
Courtesy / Franklin Community Health Network
Timothy A. Churchill, who has led Franklin Community Health Network for the past three years and Western Maine Health in Norway for more than two decades, has announced his plans to retire effective Jan. 1, 2020.
Timothy A. Churchill, who has led Franklin Community Health Network for the past three years and Western Maine Health in Norway for more than two decades, has announced his plans to retire effective Jan. 1, 2020.
His career in health care leadership spans four decades.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have Tim’s vision and steady leadership these last three years,” Clint Boothby, chairman of the FCHN board, said in a news release. “Tim has led us through a critical time, overseeing our integration into the MaineHealth system, including implementation of our new electronic medical record platform. We are very grateful to have had the benefit of his experience.”
Churchill, who has been the leader of another MaineHealth organization, Western Maine Health in Norway, for 23 years, was named interim leader of FCHN in 2016 following the retirement of Rebecca Arsenault. In February 2018, the FCHN board decided to make Churchill its president on a permanent basis, sharing him with Western Maine.
“The people who work at Franklin, as well as at Western Maine Health, do an extraordinary job providing great patient care and promoting health in their community despite the challenges faced by rural hospitals in today’s environment,” said Churchill. “I will miss working with them, but I know the people of the Farmington region will be well served by this amazing team for many years to come.”
Long career in health care
Before stepping in as FCHN’s leader in 2016, Churchill was the president of Western Maine Health and its flagship, Stephens Memorial Hospital, since 1996. Prior to that, he held various executive posts in the health care industry dating back to the 1980s.
His first leadership role was as CEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Philadelphia in the early 1990s. He has also served as president of the Osteopathic Medical Center of Philadelphia and as president of Windber Medical Center in Windber, Pa.
Born in Lewiston and raised in Waterville, he holds an MBA from the University of Maine and a bachelor’s degree from King’s College in Pennsylvania.
“As a leader, Tim has set the standard across our system,” said Rich Petersen, president of MaineHealth. “This is especially true when it comes to attracting and retaining top-notch physicians and other team members. People really enjoy working for the organizations he leads.”
Search for successor to begin
Boothby said that his board, in consultation with leadership at MaineHealth, has decided to replace Churchill with a president who will oversee just FCHN, noting that the organization’s challenges are best tackled by a leader who can be there full-time.
“What we learned from sharing our president with Western Maine Health is that, first, there are real opportunities to leverage expertise and resources with a regional partner, and that work should continue,” said Boothby. “However, there is also the reality that the geography that separates Norway and Farmington can be challenging for a leader who must oversee both organizations. We really appreciate the time and travel Tim has put in to make this arrangement work, but at this time it makes sense to bring in a leader who can focus on FCHN full time.”
Boothby said his board will form a search committee by April 30, and that they hope to hire a new president by the end of the calendar year.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments