From staff reports

news@joplinglobe.com

George P. Caralis has been named interim chief executive officer at St. John’s Regional Medical Center.

He will assume the post on Friday. He succeeds Debbie Linnes, whose resignation as the president and chief executive officer of St. John’s was announced on June 10.

David Morris, a spokesman for St. John’s, said Caralis has begun an orientation and transition process with Linnes, and will work closely with the board of directors, administration and medical staff during the transition.

Morris said Caralis has more than 30 years of health-care-industry experience and that he has an extensive background in strategic planning, budgeting, system development, ambulatory care, managed care and consulting.

Caralis, most recently, has been an independent health-care consultant with Navigant Consulting Inc. Morris said Caralis has held a number of positions with hospitals in Detroit, Mich.

Caralis holds a master’s degree in business administration from Michigan State University and a master’s of science degree in biology from Wayne State University. He is from the Detroit, Mich., area.

“We are pleased to have George Caralis join our team at this time and continue the mission of providing excellent care at St. John’s. His expertise in health-care administration and leadership is the perfect fit for us during this interim period,” said Dick Weber, chairman of the board of directors at St. John’s, in a statement released today by the hospital.

Linnes left the post after serving two years, saying she was planning to look for new career opportunities elsewhere. She joined St. John’s as a senior vice president and chief operating officer in 2003. She became interim chief executive officer in February 2006 when her predecessor, Gary Rowe, resigned after seven years as president.

The decision to name the interim chief executive officer was made by Catholic Health Initiatives, a nonprofit health organization that operates 77 hospitals, 40 long-term care and residential-living centers, and two community health-service organizations in 20 states.

CHI

With about 68,000 employees and annual revenues of $7.7 billion, Catholic Health Initiatives, Denver, Colo., which operates St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, ranks as the nation’s second-largest Catholic health-care system.