Carolinas Hospital System taps new CEO for 2017

Carolinas Hospital System will start the new year with a new chief executive officer.

Gary Malaer will take the helm as CEO on Jan. 1, according to a Wednesdayafternoon press advisory. He comes to the Pee Dee from Wuesthoff Medical Center-Rockledge in Florida, where he joined as chief operating officer in April 2015 before being named CEO in October 2015.

“Carolinas Hospital System has a strong tradition of providing compassionate, quality care for patients and I look forward to supporting the physicians, nurses and other caregivers who make a difference each day,” Malaer said in the advisory.

Dr. Eddie Floyd, chairman of the hospital’s board of trustees, said Malaer brings tremendous skills and experience to the role.

“We are confident he will build upon our strengths as we continue providing quality health care services for our community,” Floyd said.

Malaer, a native of Texas, earned his bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacagdoches, Texas, and his master’s of business administration in health services management from the University of Dallas. He spent nearly 20 years in leadership roles at hospitals in Texas and Florida. During his tenure at Wuesthoff, the hospital saw continual improvement in patient experience and quality metrics, which led to growth in the emergency room, robotics surgeries, urology, neurosurgery, electrophysiology/atrial fibrillation and the catheter lab.

Chief financial officer Loren Rials has been acting as interim chief executive officer after the hospital announced in late September that Darcy Craven was leaving his post as CEO in early October. Craven accepted a position with a hospital in Buffalo, New York. Craven’s surprise announcement came just after collaboration with the Mayo Clinic Care Network was announced for the Community Health System-owned hospital.