There’s a change at the top of Beebe Healthcare.
The Lewes-based healthcare system says president and CEO Jeffrey Fried has left, and Rick Schaffner is stepping in as interim CEO.
Alex Sydnor is the vice president of external affairs at Beebe Healthcare.
He says Fried served Beebe for over two decades.
“He’s been our president for 24 years and has really led us through an extraordinary period of growth and expansion, as the community has grown. The Board is looking forward and seeing a much different landscape ahead - much more competitive - and very rapid-changing and dynamic kind of landscape, in terms of payment and competition,” said Sydnor.
The change in leadership was announced earlier this week. Sydnor says Fried’s departure was a mutual agreement between himself and Beebe’s Board of Directors.
He adds Schaffner takes over as interim CEO after serving as Beebe’s executive vice president and chief operating officer the past seven years.
"We’re in good hands with that transition. We should really be seamless for the community,” said Sydnor.
Sydnor says the Board of Directors is very focused on attracting top talent to the organization so a nationwide search will be launched in the next several weeks to find a new, permanent president and CEO.
