Vermont Business Magazine E. Berton (Bert) Whitaker has been named interim CEO of Gifford Health Care in Randolph. He will be working with Gifford’s board of directors and Sr. Leadership team until a permanent chief executive is in place. A national search to replace former CEO Joseph Woodin, who left after 17 years at Gifford, is anticipated to take six to eight months. Whitaker, who is from Chattanooga, TN, was selected from a pool of eight applicants. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky and is a Fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives.
“Bert is a great fit for Gifford and our community in this period of transition,” said Peter Nowlan, board vice-chair and head of the search committee. “He prides himself on effective communication, financial stability, and quality performance.”
Bert Whitaker
He has been in health care administration for 35-years and has held both CEO and interim-CEO positions in a variety of hospital settings, large and small healthcare organizations, acute and long-term care facilities, and multiple physician group practices. This is his fourth interim position since retiring as CEO and President at Baptist Health in Madisonville, Kentucky in 2013. Most recently he served as interim CEO of Calais Regional Hospital in Maine.
“Gifford has a clear vision, a solid and engaged board, and great staff. This organization is well positioned to go through this transition,” he said. “My role during this period is to respond to issues as they come up, and to balance a celebration of the good things at Gifford with gathering information so I can flag any issues or problems that may need to be resolved.”
Gifford is a community hospital in Randolph, Vt., with family health centers in Berlin, Bethel, Chelsea, and Rochester and specialty services throughout central Vermont. A Federally Qualified Health Center and a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country, Gifford is a full-service hospital with a 24-hour emergency department; inpatient and rehabilitation units; many surgical services; accredited cancer program; a day care; two adult day programs; and the 30-bed Menig Nursing Home, which was named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best 39 nursing homes in the country in 2012. The Birthing Center, established in 1977, was the first in Vermont to offer an alternative to the traditional hospital-based deliveries, and continues to be a leader in midwifery and family-centered care. The cancer program is accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. The hospital’s mission is to improve individuals’ and community health by providing and assuring access to affordable, high-quality health care in Gifford’s service area.
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