Valley Hospital CEO Larson resigns

PALMER -- George Larson, chief of operations and major player in Valley Hospital's recent joint venture with Triad, announced Tuesday that he would resign his position effective May 31. Larson said he wished to "engage in a new opportunity to develop yet another health care venture."

Larson is optimistic about the future. "I wouldn't be leaving [the hospital] if I didn't feel it was in good hands," he said.

Larson has served as CEO of the hospital for more than two years, and spearheaded not only reforms affecting the internal workings of the facility, but also the initiative to develop a new replacement hospital for the community. Under his guidance, Valley Hospital acquired a capital partner, Triad Hospitals Inc., with which to partner, obtained a Certificate of Need for a new hospital from the state of Alaska and successfully managed early plans for the construction of the new medical center.

Clyde Boyer, chairman of the Valley Hospital Board of Directors, said, "George has made a lasting impression upon us here at Valley Hospital through his leadership style. The respect and high expectations that he shares with every member of the staff translates into loyalty and obviously into success."

Chris Holden, Division Five president for Triad, added, "We appreciate all that George has done to position VH to grow to the next level of health care delivery. George invited Triad to the table and asked that we consider investing in the health of Mat-Su's residents. Our partnership with Valley Hospital Association is off to a great start thanks to him, and we commend George for his dedicated efforts."

This term at Valley Hospital thus adds to Larson's already impressive list of credentials, including prior administration of Wickenburg Regional Medical Center in Arizona, similar administrative work in Holyoke, Colo., and Bethel, Maine, a masters in personnel administration from Central Michigan University, and a bachelor of science degree in business administration from La Sierra University.

However, the Valley Hospital Board of Directors faces the daunting task of finding a replacement for Larson to manage, with help from Triad, the organization that is the second-largest employer of Valley residents behind the school district. The board hopes to execute a nationwide search for a new CEO while considering input from physicians, managers and staff.

Holden believes that Larson will continue to seek out bigger and better things in the future. "George seems to me to be the kind of person who is always involved in growing possibilities, and I wish him well in his next venture," he said.

Boyer agreed, saying, "[George] repeatedly said that he wanted to 'raise the bar' for health care delivery in the Mat-Su community [and] he did just that. We wish him every success in his future endeavors."

Contact Daniel Spoth at daniel.spoth@frontiersman.com.