CHICAGO, May 30, 2019—For the fifth straight year hospital CEO turnover held steady at 18 percent, according to a recent report by the American College of Healthcare Executives. While less than the record high of 20 percent in 2013, the last five years represent the longest period during which turnover has remained elevated to this level since the study began in the early 1980s.
“Hospitals and health systems continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of the healthcare environment,” says Deborah J. Bowen, FACHE, CAE, ACHE's president and CEO. “Organizational restructuring, the movement of CEOs to different positions within health systems, and the fact that many CEOs are reaching retirement age, all contribute to this high level of turnover in hospital CEO positions. Succession planning for C-suite positions, along with a focus on developing the next generation of leaders, is key to organizational success.”
ACHE's CEO turnover rates are based on changes in an organization's CEO, as reported to the American Hospital Association and confirmed from ACHE data and public sources.
American College of Healthcare Executives
Hospital CEO Turnover*
| YEAR | ADJUSTED ** (percent) |
NUMBER OF HOSPITALS |
| 2018 | 18 | 4,465 |
| 2017 | 18 | 4,435 |
| 2016 | 18 | 4,401 |
| 2015 | 18 | 4,448 |
| 2014 | 18 | 4,501 |
| 2013 | 20 | 4,546 |
| 2012 | 17 | 4,555 |
| 2011 | 16 | 4,542 |
| 2010 | 16 | 4,567 |
| 2009 | 18 | 4,582 |
| 2008 | 14 | 4,520 |
| 2007 | 15 | 4,496 |
| 2006 | 15 | 4,546 |
| 2005 | 14 | 4,512 |
| 2004 | 16 | 4,566 |
| 2003 | 14 | 4,569 |
| 2002 | 14 | 4,602 |
| 2001 | 15 | 4,624 |
| 2000 | 17 | 4,689 |
| 1999 | 18 | 4,744 |
| 1998 | 17 | 4,780 |
| 1997 | 16 | 4,842 |
| 1996 | 16 | 4,928 |
| 1995 | 17 | 4,940 |
| 1994 | 14 | 5,045 |
| 1993 | 14 | 5,030 |
| 1992 | 15 | 5,198 |
| 1991 | 17 | 5,294 |
| 1990 | 13 | 5,398 |
| 1989 | 16 | 5,454 |
| 1988 | 18 | 5,526 |
| 1987 | 18 | 5,583 |
| 1986 | 17 | 5,626 |
| 1985 | 16 | 5,651 |
| 1984 | 15 | 5,665 |
| 1983 | 13 | 5,672 |
| 1982 | 14 | 5,678 |
| 1981 | 14 | 5,687 |
* Nonfederal short term, general medical and surgical hospitals.
** Rates before 2016 are statistically adjusted to correct for errors in reporting. Based on a telephone survey in 2017 using a sample of 300 hospitals, we determined that adjustment of the 2016 and later rates was not necessary.
American College of Healthcare Executives—Feb. 21, 2019
Annual CEO Turnover by State
Nonfederal, Short-Term, General Medical/Surgical Hospitals—Calendar Year 2018
| Rank | State | CEO Turnover Percent |
| (High-turnover states) | ||
| 1 | VERMONT | 36 |
| 2 | HAWAII | 30 |
| 3 | MASSACHUSETTS | 26 |
| 4 | OKLAHOMA | 26 |
| 5 | WISCONSIN | 25 |
| 6 | TEXAS | 24 |
| 7 | UTAH | 23 |
| 8 | MISSISSIPPI | 23 |
| 9 | ARIZONA | 23 |
| 10 | CONNECTICUT | 22 |
| 11 | MISSOURI | 22 |
| 12 | KANSAS | 21 |
| 13 | ARKANSAS | 21 |
| 14 | TENNESSEE | 21 |
| 15 | NEBRASKA | 21 |
| 16 | IOWA | 20 |
| 17-18 | RHODE ISLAND | 20 |
| 17-18 | ALASKA | 20 |
| (Medium-turnover states) | ||
| 19 | WEST VIRGINIA | 19 |
| 20 | FLORIDA | 19 |
| 21 | PENNSYLVANIA | 18 |
| 22 | KENTUCKY | 18 |
| 23 | OHIO | 18 |
| 24 | ILLINOIS | 18 |
| 25 | CALIFORNIA | 18 |
| 26 | MONTANA | 18 |
| 27 | NEW YORK | 18 |
| 28 | NEW JERSEY | 18 |
| 29 | VIRGINIA | 18 |
| 30 | MINNESOTA | 17 |
| 31 | NEW MEXICO | 17 |
| 32 | NORTH DAKOTA | 17 |
| 33 | OREGON | 17 |
| 34-35 | DIST. OF COLUMBIA | 17 |
| 34-35 | LOUISIANA | 17 |
| (Low-turnover states) | ||
| 36 | ALABAMA | 16 |
| 37 | SOUTH CAROLINA | 16 |
| 38 | GEORGIA | 16 |
| 39 | MICHIGAN | 16 |
| 40 | NEVADA | 15 |
| 41 | COLORADO | 15 |
| 42 | INDIANA | 14 |
| 43 | MAINE | 13 |
| 44 | NORTH CAROLINA | 12 |
| 45 | MARYLAND | 9 |
| 46 | WYOMING | 8 |
| 47 | SOUTH DAKOTA | 8 |
| 48 | NEW HAMPSHIRE | 8 |
| 49 | IDAHO | 8 |
| 50 | WASHINGTON | 7 |
| 51 | PUERTO RICO | 4 |
| 52 | DELAWARE | 0 |
| US Total (50 states, DC, Puerto Rico) | 18 |
About the American College of Healthcare Executives
The American College of Healthcare Executives is an international professional society of 48,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. ACHE's mission is to advance its members and healthcare management excellence. ACHE offers its prestigious FACHE® credential, signifying board certification in healthcare management. ACHE's established network of 78 chapters provides access to networking, education and career development at the local level. In addition, ACHE is known for its magazine, Healthcare Executive, and its career development and public policy programs. Through such efforts, ACHE works toward its vision of being the preeminent professional society for leaders dedicated to improving health. The Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives was established to further advance healthcare management excellence through education and research. The Foundation of ACHE is known for its educational programs—including the annual Congress on Healthcare Leadership, which draws more than 4,000 participants—and groundbreaking research. Its publishing division, Health Administration Press, is one of the largest publishers of books and journals on health services management, including textbooks for college and university courses. For more information, visit ache.org.
Contact:
Eva Chess, JD
Vice President
Department of Marketing
American College of Healthcare Executives
300 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60606-6698
(312) 424-9420
echess@ache.org