There are no changes to how the Centra Southside Community Hospital or other Centra medical offices in the region are expected to operate following the recent resignation of Centra CEO E.W. Tibbs, a member of the Centra Board of Directors said.

Centra Southside Community Hospital, Centra Medical Group and Centra PACE in the Town of Farmville are operated by Centra Health, based out of Lynchburg.

Tibbs tendered his resignation to the Centra Board of Directors Thursday, Sept. 27. Tibbs was appointed president and CEO of the health care system in 2013.

Officials from Centra announced that they will begin a search for a new CEO and president.

The Centra Board of Directors named Michael Elliott, Centra’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, as the interim CEO.

Francis Wood, a member of the Centra Board of Directors and general manager of WFLO, said, after being contacted by The Herald, “The board received his resignation, and we accepted it.” Wood said to contact the Centra office in Lynchburg for further information.

Sharon Harrup, a member of the Centra Board of Directors was contacted by The Herald for comment, but was not available before press time.

Dr. Odessa Pride, a member of the Centra Southside Community Hospital Board of Directors, declined to provide a comment after being contacted by The Herald.

Tom Angelo, CEO of Centra Southside Community Hospital, was not available before presstime to comment.

Centra Board of Directors member Julie Doyle said Tibbs’ decision came after some prior discussion with the board. Doyle said the board had a called meeting that Saturday, Sept. 29, to formally accept Tibbs’ resignation.

“In terms of ongoing communication with the CEO, certainly we had understood that he had been doing some soul searching about what he wanted to do,” Doyle said, noting that his discussion focused on whether he wanted to continue as CEO.

“We as a board were committed to continuing to work with E.W. as the leader of Centra, so we were disappointed in his decision to resign, but at the same time, very much respect his right to make that decision,” Doyle said. “Consistent with how E.W. operates and works in all ways, I expect once he makes a decision, he’s very firm with it, and so he made that decision, and he let the board leadership know that and the full board met to take in that information and to formally accept his resignation.”

Doyle said she is not aware as of Wednesday of Tibbs’ actions following the resignation or if he has taken another position.

Tibbs, prior to being named CEO of Centra Health in 2013, was the CEO of Centra Southside Community Hospital in Farmville from 2011 to 2013.

Doyle said there are no anticipated changes coming from Farmville’s medical centers, or any other medical centers Centra operates due to Tibbs’ resignation.

“Everything is expected to continue as it has,” Doyle said. “E.W. has left the organization in really strong shape.”

She said Tibbs has made an enormous impact on the company, which has projected top line revenues of $1.3 billion this year compared to revenues of $680 million when Tibbs first became CEO.

“Farmville has really been a big success in my view,” Doyle said. “The hospital is in good shape, and has strong leadership there.”