Skaggs CEO plans summer retirement

Phillips' retirement will be effective when his replacement is found, said Skaggs communications coordinator Mary Jo Fisk. The search process is expected to take four to six months.

Phillips, 61, joined Skaggs in June 1996, when the hospital had about 600 employees, 99 beds and gross revenues of $60 million, according to a company news release.

Now, Skaggs employs more than 1,070, has 177 beds and has gross revenues of close to $225 million. Medical staff physicians have increased from 30 to 110, and 15 satellite medical offices have been added.

In the last 10 years, Skaggs added the Skaggs Regional Cardiac Center, the Skaggs Outpatient Center and a center to house orthopedic and neurology specialists. The original Skaggs Hospital was renovated, and the facility's cancer care unit was expanded to include radiation therapy.

Also Jan. 26, the Skaggs Board of Directors approved the hiring of a national health care executive firm, Atlanta-based Witt/Kieffer, to find a replacement for Phillips. The board has appointed a succession committee that will narrow the field of candidates for the full board's consideration.

Phillips and his wife, Karen, plan to remain in the Branson area.

“I've enjoyed my years with Skaggs but am looking forward to some quiet time, some time to relax for a while,” he said in the release. “You hear about people who wait too long to retire - I don't want to wait until it's too late to really enjoy my retirement.”

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