Special to Atmore News
The Escambia County Health Care Authority (ECHCA) Wednesday, April 7, the planned retirement of CEO Chris Griffin on June 30, 2021. Griffin joined the ECHCA in 2003 as the chief financial officer for D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital and subsequently served as the hospital’s chief operating officer prior to being named as McMillan’s hospital administrator in July of 2008. Griffin served as McMillan’s hospital administrator until being named as the ECHCA CEO as part of the Authority’s reorganization of its health system in 2019.
“We are deeply grateful for all of Mr. Griffin’s contributions to the success of the Health Care Authority and for his leadership of our organization for the past 18 years,” Board Chairwomen Debbie Rowell said. “We wish him and his wife, Robin, the very best in the future.”
“My announcement of retirement is with mixed emotion” Griffin said, “I am very proud of what we have collectively accomplished for health care in Escambia County and I know that our team will continue to focus on providing the best care possible for the citizens of our county.”
Prior to joining D.W. McMillan, Griffin served in several financial and leadership positions with Weyerhaeuser, BellSouth, and the international accounting firm of Price Waterhouse. Griffin received his Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration from the University of Alabama in 1983 and is a retired certified public accountant.
Jeff Booth will succeed Griffin as the CEO of the Health Care Authority. Booth is an accomplished healthcare executive with 37 years experience working with and leading a variety of healthcare provider institutions. As CEO of the Health Care Authority, Booth will lead a team of experienced executives to provide care for the citizens of the county through the health system’s two hospitals, seven clinics, a home health business and ambulance service.
Booth has been serving exclusively as the outside consultant to the board for the last two and one-half years, and as such has been integral in a number of recent and ongoing strategic initiatives of the system.
Rowell said, “We are excited about Jeff joining our team and are energized about working with him to write the next chapter for our health system and its impact on the citizens of Escambia County.”