(KNZA)--The Hiawatha Community Hospital Board of Trustees has announced the hiring of a new hospital CEO.

According to a press release issued Thursday, Jeffrey Shelton has been appointed to the position.  

Shelton has more than 26 years of healthcare experience with his last eight years as a CEO of a critical access hospital and small rural hospitals.

The candidates for the CEO position were screened by a committee concluding with on-site interviews which included meetings with the administrative team, department heads, medical Staff and the Board.

The release says the stakeholders were impressed with the energy Shelton presented and the research he had done on the community and the hospital.  Shelton shared he liked the size and location of Hiawatha and its proximity to larger cities and major airports.

Shelton’s most recent position was as the CEO at Sterling Regional Medical Center in  Colorado. Sterling Regional Medical Center was recognized this year as one of the Top Rural and Community Hospitals by The National Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Policy Institute, Ivantage Health Analytics and The Chartis Center for Rural Health.

Shelton has a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, has completed a senior executive fellowship and a Critical Access Hospital executive fellowship.

When accepting the position, Shelton shared, “While researching the community of Hiawatha and the hospital, I was so impressed with the commitment of not only the hospital, but the community to ensure Hiawatha is not only an exceptional community to work within, but also that the hospital remains a meaningful facility of choice to receive healthcare and healthcare resources.”

Shelton and his wife will be relocating to Hiawatha, beginning his duties at Hiawatha Community Hospital on July 31, 2017.