St. Luke’s Magic Valley CEO resigns, hospital says unrelated to child death

Jim Angle, the chief executive officer of St. Luke’s East Region, resigned Wednesday, “effective immediately,” the hospital announced.

The hospital said the resignation is not connected to the death of a child caused by a medication mistake at St Luke’s Magic Valley Regional Medical Center.

“It may be tempting, and possibly logical, to assume that his departure is in reaction to this crisis,” said Dr. David Pate, St. Luke’s Health System CEO, in a statement. “Please be assured this is not the case.”

Angle informed St. Luke’s of his intention to resign several months ago “in order to pursue a new chapter in his career,” the statement, sent to employees Wednesday, said.

“The advance notice Jim provided gave us plenty of time to pursue a new leader for the position of Site Administrator for St. Luke’s Magic Valley Regional Medical Center,” Pate’s statement said. “We’re excited about this new position which will give us a full-time leader on site at St. Luke’s Magic Valley.”

St. Luke’s has two finalists for the position and will make an announcement “within days.”

“Recognizing that Jim’s departure leaves a leadership void for the East Region, we believe it is important for you to know that the St. Luke’s Magic Valley family has the full support of the Health System,” Pate wrote to employees.

Chris Roth, St. Luke’s Health System Chief Operating Officer, will serve as acting St. Luke’s East Region CEO, the statement said.

Roth and Pate will alternate being onsite in the Magic Valley for the foreseeable future.

Angle took the helm of St. Luke’s Magic Valley in March 2011. He came from a CEO job at a hospital of similar size in Salem, N.J. Before that, he was a medical center vice president in Utica, N.Y., and director of mental health services at another New York hospital.

“I recognize this is an additional change during a challenging time for St. Luke’s,” Pate wrote. “However I know that St. Luke’s is poised and ready for the next step of our journey.”

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This story was originally published October 7, 2015 at 1:16 PM.