Swedish Health Services CEO resigns after Seattle Times investigation

SEATTLE -- Swedish Health Services CEO Tony Armada resigned his position following a Seattle Times investigation that revealed "turmoil and troubles inside Swedish's premier neurosurgery institute."

Swedish said in a statement that the board had appointed R. Guy Hudson, M.D., as interim chief executive following a "personal decision by Tony Armada to resign from the role."

“We believe this is an important time to return to physician leadership,” Swedish Board Chairwoman Teresa Bigelow said. “Dr. Hudson is a well-respected leader in the medical community and is dedicated to our mission. His immediate next steps will be to strengthen relationships with our medical staff, as well as our caregivers and the community."

Armada told the board on Monday that he believed stepping down would be best for Swedish Health Services.

After a great deal of personal reflection, Armada told the board Monday he believes stepping down is in the best interest of the organization. Swedish board members express their deep gratitude to him for three and a half years of dedicated service to Swedish and the community.

“Tony created a strong culture of teamwork during a time of great change across the industry. He also put the needs of our patients and caregivers first and was deeply committed to quality, affordability and access for all,” Bigelow said.

Armada has an outstanding track record as a health care executive who started his career as a medical technologist. He has held top positions at Kaiser Permanente, Henry Ford Health System and Advocate Health Care prior to joining Swedish Health Services. He has also been named among Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Minority Executives. He will work with the leadership team to ensure a smooth transition.


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