Special to the Register
RICHMOND —
Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center’s president and chief executive officer will retire next year, the hospital announced Friday.
In 2010, Pattie A. Clay will complete 118 years of providing healthcare for Madison and the surrounding counties. The year 2010 will also mark the sixth and final year that Robert J. Hudson will serve as the hospital’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Hudson will be retiring next spring with 33 total years of service to Pattie A. Clay.
“Bob has led Pattie A. Clay through a tremendous period of growth,” said Dr. Aaron Thompson, chairman of the hospital’s Board of Directors. “The expansion of services we offer to the community, improvements in quality, and building an excellent community hospital is the result of Bob’s leadership, experience, and hard work.”
Hudson has been at the forefront of improvements in patient care services and technology at Pattie A. Clay.
“During my first year in 1978, everything about the hospital was manual from payroll and accounts payable to all medical record keeping,” Hudson said. “The ICU was on the ground floor and in 1979 we began building the South Tower, which includes the ICU, so those patients could have windows. It’s amazing how far we’ve come since then.”
As we move into the next phase of growth, Hudson, 62, will be essential in working with the hospital board in lining out the future direction of Pattie A. Clay, Thompson said.
The Board of Directors is working to secure the new leadership of Pattie A. Clay.
“Nobody will ever surpass the devotion and the warm relationship the hospital family has enjoyed with Bob over the years,” Thompson said. “With the changes in healthcare on the horizon, we know Pattie A. Clay is at a crossroads and we must embrace this change to lay the strategic path for the next 118 years, just as Bob has done over the course of his 32 career at Pattie A. Clay.”
Looking back at his 32 years at Pattie A. Clay, Hudson said: “Growing our ability to better serve the community while overcoming challenges has made this a very memorable career. I’ve just been a little piece of the puzzle at Pattie A. Clay to help make this a great healthcare provider and a great place to work. I will continue to be active here because this is our home with so many wonderful friends.”
“Bob has provided excellent leadership for Pattie A. Clay over the last 32 years,” Thompson said. “Since becoming CEO in 2004, he and his team have guided our organization through dramatic quality and service improvements that have helped Pattie A. Clay earn a reputation as a top hospital in the region.”
“Today’s (Friday’s) announcement allows ample time for a successful search and transition for the best leader of this incredible organization,” he said.
