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Sudden retirement leaves Pasco hospital without CEO

By MELIA BOWIE
Published March 14, 2005

	Ernie Meier

NEW PORT RICHEY - Officials with HCA and Community Hospital are conducting a search to replace former hospital CEO Ernie Meier after his abrupt retirement.

Citing health reasons, Meier announced he was leaving Community on Feb. 17 - effective immediately. A letter went out to staff the next day.

"It was pretty much right away," hospital spokeswoman Mary Sommise said Monday of his departure.

"We have all known Ernie had some health problems," she said. But "were we expecting it? I don't think so."

Meier, 60, said he came to New Port Richey as the hospital's top official five years ago from Alaska. He previously was CEO of Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage.

During his tenure in New Port Richey, Meier successfully led the hospital through the state regulatory process as Community Hospital applied to relocate to Trinity.

The hospital, currently located on Marine Parkway, is New Port Richey's largest taxpayer and employs more than 1,000 people.

The move to build a new hospital in Trinity is estimated at $196-million and is underway.

But Meier also experienced medical problems during his time as CEO, administrators said.

"He had an event here at the hospital that caused a hospitalization about a year ago," said Kathryn Gillette, Community's chief operating officer and interim CEO.

Gillette said the condition first appeared to be heart trouble, but she declined to go into greater detail.

"We're missing him but respecting his privacy," she said.

The search for a new CEO is being spearheaded by HCA's recruitment office in Nashville and by Dan Miller, division president for HCA in west Florida. Miller could not be reached for comment Monday.

Gillette, 50, said she expects narrowing the pool of candidates to replace Meier won't happen "until sometime in April." The finalists will be interviewed by Community's board of trustees, with HCA making the final decision.

Meier declined to comment further on the reasons for his retirement Monday, saying, "it's private stuff."

Staff and administrators at Community said he kept the hospital in good shape.

"The hospital has been doing very well under his leadership," Sommise said. "Our volumes are doing well. He has really done some great things in his five years."

-- Melia Bowie can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6229, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6229. Her e-mail address is bowie@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 14, 2005, 16:27:02]