Overlake Medical Center CEO Announces Retirement

Bellevue, Wash. – Following a very successful career culminating with the role as president and CEO of Overlake Medical Center, Craig Hendrickson announced his upcoming retirement to the Overlake Medical Center Board of Trustees on Wednesday, July 10, 2013. Craig will continue as CEO until his replacement is hired. Craig has dedicated 42 years of service to health care leadership. As part of his announcement, Craig noted that he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife Linda, his children and grandchildren.

Overlake has a high-performing executive leadership team and a tenured, dedicated Board of Trustees. Craig is committed to working closely with the executive leaders, the Board and Board Chair Cecily Hall on a smooth transition and to ensure that staff, physicians and patients continue to be served in accordance with Overlake’s mission and values. The Board will work with a professional executive search firm to identify a talented, well-qualified successor.

Craig has been with Overlake since 2001. He was promoted to president and CEO in 2005. Craig has led Overlake through significant growth and advancements in patient care. A few of his many successes include building the South Tower which opened in 2007 housing a state of the art critical care unit, emergency department, inpatient suites and advanced operating rooms. Craig was instrumental in creating the innovative partnership between Overlake Medical Center and Group Health Cooperative that was established in 2008. In 2013, the hospital and its clinics implemented the Epic electronic medical record system. Craig has also grown Overlake Clinics to more than 100 physicians in varying specialties, including seven primary care clinics and two urgent care clinics.

Over the course of Craig’s tenure, Overlake has received numerous bond-rating upgrades and now holds ‘A’ ratings from both Moody’s and S&P, and has in excess of 270 days cash on hand.

Under Craig’s leadership, the hospital has achieved an ‘A’ rating from Leapfrog Group, a Five-Star Rating for Patient Safety from Healthgrades six years in a row, and has been recognized nationally for its quality of patient care. One of Craig’s most notable contributions was creating a culture within Overlake focused on employee empowerment and accountability for delivering an exceptional patient experience.

“Overlake continues to maintain a dominant market share position on the Eastside, and as a result of Craig’s leadership, it has a solid foundation for the next phase of evolution in health care delivery,” said Overlake Medical Center Board of Trustees Chair Cecily Hall. “We are very grateful to Craig for his many significant contributions to Overlake Medical Center. We will continue to acknowledge his accomplishments and help him celebrate his successful career and upcoming retirement during the next several months.”