MASSENA -- Massena Memorial Hospital has picked who will lead the hospital when the current top administrator retires at the end of the year.

The Board of Managers hired Robert G. Wolleben as the new hospital CEO, effective Dec. 15.

MMH director of public relations and planning Tina Corcoran said his salary was not immediately available because she didn't have a copy of his contract, but that information will eventually be made public.

Wolleben is a native New Yorker with over 30 years of healthcare management experience, MMH said.

He will replace Charles Fahd, whose contract expires at the end of the year and opted to retire amid the controversy of whether to keep the hospital under municipal ownership or covert it to a private entity. They reported ending September $375,000 in the red and so far this year, have had to make up a $3,152,785 net loss from their cash reserves.

Wolleben has extensive experience in managing organizations with complex financial issues, MMH said.

He has demonstrated success in establishing and growing profitable services lines through program development and quality improvement," a prepared statement from MMH reads. "In all of his administrative positions he has engendered and maintained strong relationships with the Board, the community, the medical staff and the employees of the organizations."

In addition to significant financial acumen, he has helped grow physician practices, recruit physicians, and has had responsibilities for all major areas within hospital and the ambulatory arena, according to MMH.

“The Board of Managers is extremely pleased with our candidate, Mr. Wolleben and are looking forward to working with him in the near future,” said Tina Buckley, MMH Board of Managers chairperson. “He brings years of experience in working with hospital boards, community members, medical staff and the employees and is familiar with healthcare in New York State.”

Wolleben graduated with a bachelor of arts from Columbia University and received a master of arts in health care administration from George Washington University Graduate School of Business. He has held a number of administrative positions in for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals, as well as hospitals with religious affiliations. From 1992 to 2003, Wolleben was the vice president for professional and support services in Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical Center in Plattsburgh. Subsequently, he worked as an executive with Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown. Recently, he worked as the chief executive officer of Trumball Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio. Currently, he is the acting chief executive officer of the Dr. John Warner Hospital in Clinton, Ill.

The search for the new executive began this summer when the MMH board retained Cejka Executive Search to consult with them concerning the search process and the vetting of potential candidates. After reviewing the credentials of 70 candidates, the board interviewed four finalists. Three were invited to Massena for in-depth interviews with the administrative, medical and hospital staff.