[Correction: This article originally referenced the hospital parting ways with a management company in 2017 when the county commissioners reorganized the hospital’s board of trustees. The management company, Brim Healthcare, ceased overseeing the hospital prior to 2017. The article was updated to remove that reference.]
ROCK SPRINGS — Irene Richardson will be on leave from her responsibilities as CEO of Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County according to a letter to the hospital’s staff.
The letter, signed by hospital attorney Geoffrey Phillips, announced Thursday that Richardson will be on leave until further notice and named Chief Clinical Officer Kari Quickenden as MHSC’s acting CEO. The letter orders staff to continue following the hospital’s policies and procedures.
“Hospital operations will continue without interruption,” the letter reads. “We appreciate everyone’s continued professionalism, discretion, and focus on providing excellent care and service to our patients and community.”
The hospital declined to comment on the situation surrounding Richardson’s leave.
“Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County does not comment on personnel matters,” Marketing Director Deb Sutton wrote in an email to SweetwaterNOW. “The Hospital remains steadfast in its commitment to meeting the health care needs of our patients and the community we serve. Hospital operations continue without interruption under the direction of acting CEO Kari Quickenden. The Board, leadership team, medical staff, and employees remain focused on maintaining continuity of operations and providing safe, high-quality care and service.”
Richardson has been an employee of MHSC since 1985, working her way from the financial services department to becoming the hospital’s controller in 2008 and its chief financial officer in 2010. During an administrative shake-up in 2017 that saw the removal of the hospital’s board of trustees, Richardson was appointed its interim CEO and was later hired to the role.
Sweetwater County Commissioner Taylor Jones, who serves as the commissioners’ liaison to the hospital board, and MHSC Board of Trustees President Kandi Pendleton were contacted for this article but did not respond prior to the publication of this post. SweetwaterNOW will publish further information as it’s made available.
