North Valley Hospital selects new CEO
For the first time in about a year, North Valley Hospital has secured a new full-time leader.
The Whitefish hospital’s board of directors appointed Chris Thomas as the facility’s new interim chief executive officer. She’s acted as the hospital’s chief operating officer for the last two years, according to a press release from hospital officials on Thursday.
Thomas replaces Tate Kreitinger who has acted as the hospital’s leader for nearly a year. Kreitinger has also served as the chief executive officer of the HealthCenter in Kalispell throughout that time.
Kreitinger was initially tapped to serve as interim. The board voted to accept him as the official CEO soon after his arrival while balancing his obligations with HealthCenter.
Allison Linville, the hospital marketing and community relations coordinator, said the board decided to move Thomas into the position because, “they wanted this to be a full-time role.”
Linville said Thomas has acted as the interim since early April.
She said as far as whether Thomas will eventually carry the title of a permanent leader, “I can’t speak to the status of a possible search at this time.”
Thomas has worked in health care for 36 years and in leadership roles at North Valley for more than three years. She’s spent her career working in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota.
Board Chairman Steve Stahlberg said Thomas has focused on the values and culture of North Valley Hospital in her role as the hospital’s chief operating officer.
“The board is thankful for Tate’s leadership over the past year,” Stahlberg said. “By appointing Ms. Thomas to this full-time leadership role, the board establishes a strong commitment to the staff at North Valley Hospital and the greater Whitefish community that North Valley Hospital will continue providing high quality patient-centered care.”
The hospital has not had a full-time chief executive since Jason Spring stepped down from the role in May of 2016. The move occurred soon after North Valley Hospital entered an affiliation with the Kalispell healthcare system.
Spring currently serves as chief executive provider network integration at Kalispell Regional Healthcare.
According to the press release, with the most recent leadership transition, Kreitinger has assumed additional outreach oversight responsibilities at Kalispell Regional in addition to his role at the HealthCenter.
Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.