Willis-Knighton Health System has named Jaf Fielder II as its next CEO, succeeding James Elrod, the Shreveport, Louisiana-based provider announced Saturday.
Elrod will retire at the end of September, after which Fielder will take the helm. Fielder currently is chief operating officer and has been with the health system since 1990.
"His dedication to the health system, the medical staff, the employees and our community is unquestionable and, I believe, unshakable. He will have the support of a strong executive team, just as I have had, and they have a solid foundation on which to build," Elrod said in a news release.
Willis-Knighton's board of directors chose Fielder during a long succession planning process, the not-for-profit company said. After a thorough search and a slate of top candidates, the board concluded that there was no one better qualified than our own Jaf Fielder," Willis Knighton board chairman Dr. Frank Hughes said in a news release.
Fielder rose through the ranks at Willis-Knighton, starting his career in human resources before eventually assuming management oversight for all its hospitals.