Sharp HealthCare President and CEO Michael W. Murphy will retire next year after 22 years at the San Diego-based system.
Murphy will work until February 28, 2019. Under his leadership, Sharp has grown into a $3.5 billion organization that employs more than 18,000 workers.
"While I am excited about my upcoming retirement, I will remain fully committed over the next 11 months to do everything possible to advance Sharp's journey to be the best place for employees to work, physicians to practice medicine, and patients to receive care," Murphy said in a press release.
Daniel L. Gross, Sharp's Executive Vice President of Hospital Operations, also announced his plans to retire on Thursday after 41 years. He will step down in early 2020.
Sharp will enlist a search firm to lead a national search for Murphy's replacement with the goal of choosing a new president and CEO in the next 8 to 10 months, according to the press release.
"Fortunately, we begin our search process for a new president and CEO in a very strong position. Sharp is San Diego's healthcare leader and one of the most respected integrated healthcare delivery systems in the country," said Richard Freeman, Chair of Sharp's board of directors. "We are confident that we will have a long list of qualified healthcare executives who will be excited to lead Sharp into the decades that lie ahead."
San Diego is a competitive, but consolidated, market dominated by Sharp, Scripps Health and Kaiser Permanente, which recently opened up a hospital in the area.
