Photo Courtesy of CMH
Curtis Hawkinson, CEO of Community Memorial Healthcare in Marysville, announced that he will step down on February 17th, after 19 years with the organization.
Hawkinson guided CMH through major transitions, including a full hospital rebuild funded partly by a USDA Rural Development loan. During his tenure, CMH added services such as MRI and orthopedic surgery, grew annual gross revenues from $29 million to $46 million, and earned repeated national recognition as a top Critical Access Hospital.
Hawkinson acknowledged financial pressures from uncompensated care and reduced reimbursements, which led voters to approve a half-cent county sales tax twice. CMH continues to face challenges, including workforce shortages, loss of labor and delivery services, and increasing administrative burdens.
Hawkinson praised staff resilience, especially during the pandemic, and said he hopes to remain in rural health care. The board is exploring search firms to find his successor.
