Mee

Ted Fox has resigned as chief executive officer of St. Anthony Hospital.

Fox held the hospital’s top administrative position for eight months. Hospital spokesman Larry Blanc wouldn’t share specifics about why Fox resigned, but said Fox broke the news to department heads at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

Later that afternoon, Joe Wilczek, a senior vice president for Catholic Health Initiatives, introduced Randy Mee to the board as the hospital’s interim CEO.

On Wednesday, Mee met with hospital staff.

Fox arrived in Pendleton last April, after serving as CEO at three other hospitals. He moved to Oregon from Hollister, Calif., where he was CEO for the 93-bed St. Louise Regional Hospital in nearby Gilroy.

Blanc said Fox left the hospital Tuesday afternoon and Mee took over CEO duties Wednesday.

Mee, who Blanc said has applied for the permanent CEO job, most recently served as administrator of Cottage Grove Community Hospital and South Lane Medical Group in Cottage Grove. Previously, Mee ran several health care facilities in Montana.

Catholic Health Initiatives is the parent company for St. Anthony Hospital. CHI is a Denver-based nonprofit health organization that owns 77 hospitals and 40 other health care facilities.

Fox didn’t return a phone call to the East Oregonian by press time.