Dr. Mike McDermott, president and CEO of Mary Washington Healthcare, has resigned to take the same position at Montage Health in Monterey, California.
Sources told the Free Press that McDermott's departure was announced internally Monday morning. Dr. Christopher Newman, MWHC's Chief Medical Officer and Chief Operating Officer, will succeed Mr. McDermott as CEO.
McDermott will remain in his role through the spring “to ensure a smooth transition,” according to a press release.
Mr. McDermott has served as president and CEO of the healthcare nonprofit since January 2015, after a long career as a diagnostic and interventional radiologist in a Fredericksburg practice. He received total compensation of more than $1.9 million in the previous year, according to MWHC's 2023 Form 990 tax return.
In recent years, he has overseen significant expansion of the hospital system, including the addition of a graduate medical education program (GME) and the consolidation of several medical practices under the MWHC umbrella. The release noted that MWHC has raised its bond ratings three times under McDermott's leadership.
“I am extremely proud of all that Mary Washington Healthcare has accomplished during my time as CEO, and am confident that the system will continue to grow and advance under Dr. Newman's leadership. “There are,” McDermott said in a press release. “It has been an honor and privilege to lead MWHC for the past 10 years, and I look forward to watching MWHC continue to progress under Chris’ leadership.”
During McDermott's tenure, MWHC came under intense public scrutiny for its deteriorating relationship with Moss Free Clinic and an expansion plan that called for the demolition of the Kids Station day care center to make way for a clinic and conference center. It became.
Mary Washington Hospital's “D” rating from the watchdog group Leapfrog this spring was cited by Fredericksburg officials during public discussion of campus expansion plans. This fall, the hospital received a “C” rating.
Mr. Newman has been with MWHC since 2019 and previously served as CMO of St. Joseph Regional Health Network at Penn State Medical Center.
“I am honored to have been selected as CEO and am committed to continuing our mission to improve the health of people in our communities,” he said in a press release. “Our system continues to grow rapidly and we look forward to building on the momentum of the past few years and making Mary Washington the best health care system for our providers, team members, patients, and community members. I’m excited to continue my efforts.”
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