SHC appoints Kevin Hammons as CEO

Community Health Systems has officially named former CFO Kevin Hammons as CEO effective immediately, the hospital operator announced Wednesday.

Hammons had served as interim CEO since Oct. 1, after longtime CEO Tim Hingtgen resigned in late September.

Hammons was also added to the CHS Board of Directors.

Meanwhile, Jason Johnson, who served as CHS’s interim CFO following Hammons’ elevation to interim CEO, has been named permanent CFO.

Hammons first joined CHS in 1997 and helped the hospital operator oversee accounting, regulatory reporting, budgeting, corporate finance and investor relations during his tenure, according to a news release. Hammons was named CFO in January 2020.

Before joining CHS, Hammons worked for professional services firm Ernst & Young, according to his LinkedIn.

Johnson, who began working at CHS in 2012, was previously the company’s chief accounting officer. He also served as vice president and corporate controller at CHS.

“Both Kevin and Jason have a deep understanding of our business and the healthcare industry, unique perspectives that can accelerate growth and our strategic priorities, and they are both highly regarded by their industry colleagues and peers,” Wayne Smith, chairman of the CHS Board of Directors, said in a statement.

CHS owns or leases 69 hospitals across the country and operates more than 1,000 care sites. The hospital operator said during the third-quarter earnings conference call that it would continue divestitures, a long-term goal for the company as it seeks to deleverage its balance sheet.

Although CHS’s most recent revenue results were in line with the company’s expectations, the operator has faced weak volumes, which have weighed on its profits for several quarters.