MultiCare Health System CEO Bill Robertson’s last day is on Dec. 31, the health care provider announced in a recent news release.
The organization’s current president, Florence Chang, will take on the role starting on Jan. 1, 2027. Robertson will work alongside his successor to ensure a smooth hand-off before his retirement. The decision was unanimously approved by MultiCare’s board of directors.
“The privilege of serving MultiCare and building on more than a century of community-centric service has been one of the most rewarding roles of my career,” said Robertson, who began working with MultiCare in 2014, in the release. “I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside our talented colleagues and community partners.”
Serving as president and CEO until 2022, when he transitioned exclusively to the CEO position, Robertson is credited in the release for helping steward the organization’s growth — which included broadened access to primary, emergency, and specialty care — to become the region’s largest community-based nonprofit health system.
“On behalf of the board of directors, I want to thank Bill Robertson for his extraordinary leadership and the lasting impact he has had on MultiCare,” said John Wiborg, board chair for MultiCare Health System, in the release. “As MultiCare moves forward into this next chapter, the board has full confidence and trust in Florence Chang as she steps into this leadership role. She is a highly effective servant leader with a great passion for MultiCare’s mission, as well as a deep knowledge of the organization’s capabilities and areas of opportunity.”
Chang has been with MultiCare since 2006, initially serving as the health system’s senior vice president and chief information officer before moving on to executive vice president and chief operating officer roles. She was named president in 2022.
“I’m deeply grateful for the chance to carry MultiCare’s mission forward,” said Chang in the release. “I am humbled by the MultiCare board and Bill’s confidence in me. I have spent much of my career here, and it has been a privilege to help build a health system devoted to the health and healing of the communities we serve. I step into this role with optimism for our future. I plan to lead with the integrity that has been the cornerstone of this organization for more than a century.”
Read staff writer John Stearns’ profile of Robertson from the December 2022 issue of South Sound Business here and Florence Chang’s 24 Hours column spotlight from the February 2021 issue here.