Leader of Asante oversaw 3,000 workers

Jon Mitchell, 53, Asante Health System's CEO since 1992, submitted his resignation to the Asante board Monday. It becomes effective April 2. He was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Until a new CEO is found, Mark Folger, senior vice president of health services, will oversee operations of Asante's various businesses, which include a nursing home, an addictions recovery center and Rogue Valley Medical Center, as well as 3,000 employees.

Skip Patterson, chairman of Asante's board of directors, said he could not speak for Mitchell about the resignation. He said Mitchell talked about pursuing other interests and opportunities that have surfaced due to the success of Asante.

"When someone submits a resignation there is a great deal of emotion," Patterson said. "I'm sure it was difficult for him."

Patterson said that as part of the board's search for a new leader, members will meet with employees, management and the community.

He said the board wants a CEO "who will walk the streets and the halls of the facilities, and be the type of leader who everyone in the community knows and feels comfortable with."

Patterson called Mitchell a visionary who expanded RVMC to provide a far greater range of services to the region.

"Jon's vision for the system left a road map for providing quality health-care services," Patterson said.

Mitchell's resignation follows three other recent personnel changes at Asante: the resignation of Blake Williamson, executive director of the Southern Oregon Health Trust; the retirement of Judy Barr, senior vice president of customer development; and the move of Gary Sherwood from Asante senior vice president in charge of RVMC to director of Oregon Health Sciences University Partners LLC, a joint venture of Oregon Health Sciences University and Asante.

Patterson said Mitchell's resignation was not related to the personnel changes.

Mitchell's resignation comes as Asante is in the midst of almost $70 million in capital improvements. Besides a new Grants Pass hospital, cancer center and medical offices, Asante is building new medical offices for Southern Oregon Health Trust doctors in White City, west and east Medford.

Professionals in the medical community were surprised at Mitchell's resignation.

Chuck Wright, CEO of Providence Medford Medical Center, said, "In spite of the fact that we've been fairly intense competitors, we've been able to also work collaboratively in matters of community health."

Others emphasized his ability to look ahead and act strategically.

"I think Jon Mitchell had a unique ability to craft a vision and implement that vision in a very challenging industry," said Jon Ness, CEO of the Medford Clinic. "I respect him for that."

Patterson said he wasn't surprised at Mitchell's move, because most CEOs have an average tenure of three years.

"I would say the relationship between Jon and the board was very cordial most of the time, but there's always a difference in opinion between executives and boards," Patterson said.

Mitchell's 25 years in health care included serving as CEO of Empire Health Services in Spokane, Wash., from 1986 to 1990, when the organization expanded to include four medical centers and subsidiaries.

He came to the Rogue Valley from Hawaii, where he was vice- president of Kapiolani Health Care Systems in Honolulu, which has two medical centers plus subsidiaries.