Matt Chambers has resigned from his position as president and CEO of Three Rivers Health, effective at the end of July.
Matt Chambers will wrap up 12 years as president and CEO of Three Rivers Health at the end of July.
In announcing the resignation, the Three Rivers Health Authority Board noted that Chambers has served as CEO at Three Rivers for 12 years and has been an involved member of the community.
In commenting on his impending departure, Chambers said, “My wife and I went out for our annual vacation back home, which is Utah, and we recognized as we were there that our family needs us there. We have aging parents and we need to be back taking care of them.”
In explaining the decision, Chambers said, “I’ve always said ‘family comes first’ and I use the phrase that ‘no success can compensate for failure in the home’ and so we just feel like it’s time for us to be back there taking care of family affairs and looking after our loved ones.”
Chambers said he met with Gerald Parton, the regional vice-president of Quorum Health Resources (QHR) who oversees this region, and Larry Clark, chairman of the Three Rivers Health Authority Board and asked that they accelerate the process for the move to Utah. He said they’ve “graciously agreed” to do so and a new interim CEO, William Russell, will be in place on Monday (July 27th). Chambers said, “I’ll spend a week with them, getting them oriented, and then Cheryl and I will spend the next few weeks wrapping up our affairs here, and trying to sell our home, and get back there as soon as we can.”
Chambers is uncertain what he will do upon returning to Utah. He mentioned hospital administration or work as a consulting CEO as possibilities, but said he may pursue something outside health care. He said, “I’m having a growing and burgeoning interest in the ‘green energy economy’ so we’re considering a number of things and we’ll spend some time investigating what kind of options we have and what we might want to do next.”
Regarding his time in Three Rivers, Chambers said, “I have learned to love this community and love the people here and have loved serving here so I go with a heavy heart, having to leave, but very excited for this new phase of our lives.”
In discussing Chambers decision to leave, Quorum’s Parton said, “I want to thank Matt for all the work he’s done the past 12 years. He’s been an instrumental part of this hospital and really moved this hospital forward. I know I, as well as the community, are going to miss Matt.”
Parton said the new interim CEO, who lives in Seattle, will be in place “until we get a permanent CEO.” He said Quorum will work closely with the board and, “hopefully, get a CEO in place in the next 60 to 90 days.”
In commenting on the transition, Clark said expressed appreciation for Chambers’ contributions to the organization. Clark said, “Matt has seen the hospital through some challenging times, and provided visionary direction. Most recently, he spearheaded development of PAWS (prevention and wellness services) and the new Three Rivers Health Family Care office.”
Regarding the search process, Clark said, “QHR provides immediate interim resources to minimize disruption within the hospital while allowing the board time to choose a CEO that can meet our needs, and fill the significant role Chambers has played in the hospital and community.”
For additional insights regarding this story, click on the following links to hear interview with Matt Chambers and Gerald Parton:
• Matt Chambers interview (12:28)
• Gerald Parton interview (3:02)
Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 4:40 p.m. 7-22-09 to add links to the interviews with Matt Chambers and Gerald Parton.
