The President of the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees says the hospital plans to hire a company Thursday to conduct a national search for a new CEO.

Current CEO Dr. John Lucas has announced his retirement effective September 1. The hospital board earlier this week named Margo Karsten, President and CEO of Minneapolis based Creative Health Care Management, to serve as interim CEO after September 1.

Board President Joe Evans says he understands a typical search for a CEO of the type the board is seeking typically takes about 4-6 months . He says that while getting a CEO in less time than that would be positive, he also doesn't want to rush the process because ''this hospital and this community deserve the best person we can get". Evans says that means taking a month or two beyond the 4-6 month window is a possibility.

In the meantime Evans says he's very comfortable with Karsten, who once served as CEO of Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Co. ''and did a great job down there'' according to Evans.

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