Biediger to step down as Lexington Medical Center CEO at end of year
Mike Biediger, who has guided Lexington Medical Center through rapid expansion in the past two decades, has announced he plans to step down as CEO in December.
Biediger started at the hospital as its executive vice president and chief operating officer in 1989 and moved into the president and CEO role in 1996. The 44-year-old hospital has had only three CEOs – Biediger, Ken Shull and George Rentz – and the board now has almost a full year to choose a fourth.
“The time has come for me to start thinking about what’s next,” Biediger said. “My first grandchild was born last summer, and I’d like to have more time to devote to family. I look forward to watching the continued success and achievements of Lexington Medical Center and the many talented people who help care for our community.”
The growth of the hospital since Biediger arrived has been remarkable. After a major expansion in the early 1990s, the hospital had 292 beds when Biediger took over as CEO. Now Lexington Medical Center consists of the 414-bed main complex in West Columbia, six medical and urgent care centers, an occupational health center, an extended care facility, an Alzheimer’s care center and a network of more than 600 physicians and 60 medical practices.
Among the most publicized changes at Lexington under Biediger was the expansion of heart health capacity. He led the contentious battle through courts and the state Certificate of Need process before the hospital opened its first open-heart surgery unit in 2012. More recently, the heart program has brought additional challenges. A judge ruled last year that the hospital shouldn’t have added open heart surgery and catheterization capacity while the state’s Certificate of Need process was shut down for lack of funding.
“After a long and successful career, we thank Mike Biediger for his dedication to providing quality health services to the people of our community,” said Jan Burt, chair of the Lexington Medical Center board of directors. “Because of the excellent work and vision of Mike and his leadership team, Lexington Medical Center has been tremendously successful and continues on a very positive trajectory for the future.”
Biediger’s long tenure is unusual in the industry. A 2013 report from the American College of Healthcare Executives noted the annual rate of turnover for hospital CEOs averaged from 14 percent to 18 percent from 2003-2013.
This story was originally published January 28, 2015 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Biediger to step down as Lexington Medical Center CEO at end of year."