Community Health System CEO that oversaw Clovis hospital expansion announces retirement
The head of the Central Valley’s largest healthcare system has announced his retirement.
Community Health System President and CEO Craig Castro has informed the board of directors of his plans retire in 2025, according to a media release.
Formerly known as Community Medical Centers, Community Health System is a private nonprofit that operates downtown Fresno’s Community Regional Medical Center, Clovis Community Medical Center and several other healthcare sites.
“With Thanksgiving upon us, it is fitting to express our immense gratitude to Craig for his many bold achievements during his leadership tenure,” said the statement from board chair Roger Sturdevant.
It isn’t immediately clear what has prompted Castro’s retirement.
Castro served as the chief executive for nearly five years and spent over half of his 40-year career with the organization.
As Chief Information Officer, Castro led the early adoption of electronic medical records. He also oversaw the expansion of the cancer program with the addition of the Community Cancer Institute, addition of 285 inpatient beds at CRMC and the expansion of Clovis Community Medical Center, according to the release.
“All of these achievements help ensure our families and friends can receive the most advanced medical treatment right here at home. Generations of Valley residents will continue to benefit from Craig’s mark on our healthcare system,” the statement said.
The Clovis hospital expansion was the subject of a four-part Fresno Bee investigation, “Care and Conflict,” which found that, for years, Community Medical Centers used state and federal money intended to offset the cost of providing care for indigent patients, primarily in downtown Fresno, to help fund a $1 billion hospital expansion in affluent Clovis, which primarily serves Fresno’s wealthy mostly-white suburbs.
In August, two Fresno health nonprofits sued the healthcare system alleging misuse of Medi-Cal money as well as violations of state civil rights laws.
Hospital leadership called the lawsuit “baseless.”
Last week, CHS asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit. Michelle Von Tersch, Community Health System’s Senior VP of Communications & Legislative Affairs, said in a statement to nonprofit newsroom Fresnoland that the hospital system “strongly denies” it did anything illegal or discriminatory.
Castro couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.
