Carilion Clinic CEO plans to retire, successor named | MED MOVES

Nancy Howell Agee, the CEO of Carilion Clinic for more than a decade, has announced her plans to retire.

Nancy Howell Agee, the CEO of Carilion Clinic for more than a decade, is retiring. Steve Arner, Carilion's president, has been named as her successor.

She will step down as CEO on Sept. 30. And there won’t be any uncertainty about leadership, as Steve Arner has been named Carilion’s next CEO. Arner has been serving as president since May 2023, and he will take the role of chief executive officer on Oct. 1.

Agee will serve as CEO emeritus through September 2025 and focus on raising funds for the health system, based in Roanoke, Va.

“Now seems the right time for a change,” Agee said in a video announcing her plans.

“We have a strong organization with amazing, talented caregivers, providing world-class care, right here at home,” she said.

She has served the organization for more than 50 years, starting her career as a nurse in 1973. Agee was named president and CEO in 2011, becoming the first female chief executive of Carilion.

Agee gave a strong endorsement of Arner as her successor.

“I have enormous confidence in his leadership. Steve shares my philosophy of servant leadership,” Agee said, adding, “I know he will be phenomenal.”

Arner has been Carilion’s chief operating officer since 2012, and has helped lead more than $500 million in investments in facilities through the system. Carilion said he led the system’s COVID-19 response and also served as chairman of the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.

He said Carilion has evolved since joining the system more than 25 years ago.

“What has remained the same since the day I started is Carilion’s laser-like focus on its mission and our community, and I look forward to continuing on the path to growth and collaboration,” Arner said in a statement.

Dorrie Dils

Organ procurement group appoints president

Dorrie Dils has been named the new president of the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations.

Dils is the president and CEO of Gift of Life Michigan. The system said her main goals will be to expand organ donation and reach 50,000 organs transplanted in 2026.

She said she’s looking forward to doing more to support the organization’s members.

“Our success hinges on our commitment to the crucial work we undertake and our willingness to improve,” Dils said in a statement. “The impact of our efforts is profound – not only for the donor families who we support during their toughest times but also for the thousands in dire need of life-saving organ transplants.”

Dils began her career as a nurse in a Level I trauma intensive care unit and moved to organ donation in 1991. She has previously chaired the AOPO’s ethics and advocacy committees.

Tara Beth Anderson

Baptist Health hospital announces new president

Tara Beth Anderson, has been named president of Baptist Medical Center Nassau.

The hospital is part of the Baptist Health system based in Jacksonville, Fla. Anderson began her new role on July 22.

Anderson comes to Baptist Health after serving as chief nursing officer with HCA Florida Capital Hospital in Tallahassee.

Previously, she held leadership positions at HCA Frankfort Regional Medical Center in Kentucky; HCA Tulane Health System in Louisiana; LifePoint Healthcare Teche Regional Medical Center in Louisiana and Carteret Health Care in North Carolina.

“I was drawn to health care because of my passion for improving patient care and that is still what motivates me today,” Anderson said in a statement. “I am excited to now be a part of a non-profit, locally governed, faith-based organization and can’t wait to make a positive impact on the health of the community we are privileged to serve.”

Matthew A. Zuino, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Baptist Health, said in a statement that he is “confident Tara Beth’s exceptional leadership, coupled with her commitment to excellence and engagement, will position Baptist Nassau to deliver even more value to the community.”

William P. Perno

Ohio Valley Surgical Hospital appoints CEO

William P. Perno has been named the next chief executive officer of Ohio Valley Surgical Hospital.

Perno has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership.

“The opportunity to be part of a physician-led healthcare organization that is intentionally looking at ways to grow and support community needs in Clark County and the surrounding area sparked my interest,” Perno said in a news release.

Most recently, Perno served as Cityblock Health’s market vice president for Ohio.

He has also held leadership roles with Revere Health in Provo, Utah, Mount Carmel Health Partners in Columbus, Ohio, and West Florida Health in Tampa, Florida.

Rob Cercek, chairman of Ohio Valley’s board of directors, called Perno “an engaging and compassionate leader.”

“For the board, it was paramount that we find a leader who is committed to Ohio Valley’s legacy of patient-focused, physician-driven health care," Cercek said in a statement.