Claudio Fort, president and CEO of Rutland Regional Medical Center, has resigned after more than four years in the role, according to an announcement from the hospital Tuesday.
Fort will leave the hospital at the end of December, board chair Mark Foley Jr. said in the press release.
Prior to joining Rutland Regional in April 2018, Fort spent roughly 10 years as CEO of North Country Hospital in Newport. At Rutland, Fort replaced Tom Huebner, who had retired after leading the hospital since 1997.
According to the announcement, Fort told hospital staff in an email Tuesday that he was resigning for personal reasons.
“I have come to a personal decision that I need to make some definitive changes, which includes stepping down from my role as CEO to take some extended time off and focus on my health,” he said.
Judi Fox, the hospital’s chief financial officer and vice president, will step in as interim president and CEO, according to the press release. Fox has spent six years as CFO and another 26 years of her career at Rutland Regional, in addition to serving on the board of directors of the Brattleboro Retreat and United Way of Rutland County.
“The hospital is important to our community, and we will work to ensure that our patients continue to have access to timely high-quality care while maintaining Rutland Regional’s reputation as a great place to work,” Fox said.
Foley said that he appreciated the “dedication and leadership” Fort has shown and that he is grateful to Fox for stepping in during the transition. According to the press release, the board of directors has formed a search committee and plans to hire a firm to recruit the next CEO.
— Erin Petenko
