PeaceHealth ousts Oregon chief, keeps interim leader in place

PeaceHealth removed Oregon region chief executive Jim McGovern effective immediately, keeping Heather Wall in the interim role at a moment when RiverBend and the system’s other Lane County hospitals are still under pressure from staffing strain and emergency care disruption. PeaceHealth president and CEO Sarah Ness said the organization determined that a leadership change was in the best interest of the health system.

The shift matters locally because PeaceHealth remains one of Lane County’s biggest health-care providers, with Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield, Peace Harbor Medical Center in Florence and Cottage Grove Community Medical Center all serving county residents. RiverBend is a 388-bed regional hospital with 24/7 emergency care, advanced cardiac and stroke services, women’s and children’s health care and specialized surgical services, making it a central piece of the region’s care network.

McGovern had already been on administrative leave since April 9, after allegations that he tried to influence patient care without an Oregon medical license and exceeded his administrative authority. More than 300 pages of documentation were delivered to the PeaceHealth board on March 19 by the RiverBend Medical Executive Committee, and a complaint about McGovern’s conduct was filed with the Oregon Medical Board on April 22. The immediate removal now turns a temporary leave into a full leadership ouster, but Wall remains in place while PeaceHealth searches for a permanent replacement.

For patients and staff in Eugene and Springfield, the practical question is whether the change brings stability after months of upheaval. PeaceHealth announced on Feb. 4 that it would end its 35-year partnership with Eugene Emergency Physicians and bring in ApolloMD for emergency staffing. Medical staff then voted no confidence in McGovern and chief medical officer Kim Ruscher on Feb. 23, and later reporting said 93% of 367 voters rejected their leadership.

The turmoil is playing out against the backdrop of PeaceHealth’s 2023 closure of the University District emergency room in Eugene, which shifted more emergency demand to RiverBend. Since then, the Oregon Nurses Association has said patients and nurses have described long waits and overcrowding at the Springfield hospital. Lane County’s reliance on PeaceHealth means leadership decisions at the system level can quickly affect bedside care, staffing morale and how smoothly emergency and specialty services run across the region.

Rep. Nancy Nathanson has said the situation reflects instability and communication breakdowns and that medical decisions should remain in doctors’ hands. For Lane County residents, the next test is whether PeaceHealth can steady its Oregon operations before the strain reaches wait times, staffing levels and confidence in the region’s largest hospital network.