CULLMAN – The contract for Cullman Regional’s CEO, James Clements, has been extended for six years, according to Cullman Regional Board Chair Judy Butler-Patterson.
A press release issued by the hospital cited the hospital’s financial stability and growth since Clements came on board in 2014 as reasons for the extension.
In 2013, Cullman Regional’s operating losses topped $13 million over five years.
“We knew changes were necessary in order to survive in the current healthcare environment, and we hoped that bringing in a new chief executive officer with a strong background in growth would be just what we needed,” Immediate Past Board Chair Todd McLeroy said, “but we honestly weren’t certain.”
“Over the past three years, James has built a leadership team, made the hospital financially sound and has broken ground on two major expansion projects – both of which will help Cullman Regional better serve our community and add 150 local jobs to our local economy,” Butler-Patterson said. “The success of the hospital has surpassed our expectations, and we couldn’t be more pleased. In fact, the hospital is stronger than ever. We want to insure the future of the hospital continues on this path; therefore, we’ve extended his (Clements) contract for six more years.”
Since Clements was hired, Cullman Regional has increased volume by 23 percent, said the press release. The 30-bed expansion is ahead of schedule and plans to open in February of 2018 and the new Urgent Care Center and Outpatient Imaging Center is slated to open in April of 2018.
“It takes all of us working toward the same goals to make this happen,” Clements said. “Together, our team is working to make Cullman Regional one of the best hospitals not only in Alabama, but in the Southeast. “Personally, our family is proud to call Cullman home and are excited to be here for the next six years. We’ve been particularly impressed by the school system and our local church, who have both embraced our family with open arms.”
Clements is a healthcare executive with more than 30 years of healthcare operations experience for acute-care hospitals with 60-500 beds. Previously, he served as co-founder and chief operating officer for a seven-hospital healthcare company in which he was responsible for the management of hospital executives and medical directors. He has also served in various capacities as a chief executive officer, chief financial officer and as vice president of business development and strategic planning during his career.
Prior to joining Cullman Regional, Clements served as the CEO at South Fulton Medical Center, a Tenet Healthcare Corporation hospital in Atlanta. Clements holds a Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta and a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
For more information about Cullman Regional, visit www.CullmanRegional.com.
Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
