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Vaughan Regional Medical Center (VRMC) has named Michael James, MHA, as its new CEO, replacing retiring CEO David McCormack, who has led the hospital since 2016.

With a 30-year career in hospital administration, James brings a wealth of experience to the position. His most recent role was as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Jackson Hospital and Clinics in Montgomery. In this capacity, he oversaw essential functions such as clinical operations – including the emergency department, catheterization lab, operating room, quality initiatives, and provider recruitment – as well as budget management, capital equipment, contracts, real estate, IT infrastructure, and more.

James’ first day as CEO will be Feb. 10.

“We are excited to bring someone of Michael’s caliber to the CEO role at Vaughan Regional, knowing he has big shoes to fill in replacing David,” said Russell Pigg, President of the Community Hospital Division at ScionHealth, the parent company of VRMC. “Michael brings a wealth of experience to the role and a track record for helping hospitals achieve success in an ever-changing environment. We believe he will be a great fit for Vaughan and a great ambassador to our partners throughout the Selma community.”

Prior to joining Jackson Hospital, James held numerous leadership roles at Health Management Associates (HMA) and its hospitals. These positions included

• Regional Vice President of Support Services at HMA;

• Associate Executive Director/Interim COO at Midwest Regional Medical Center in Midwest City, Oklahoma;

• Assistant Administrator at Central Mississippi Medical Center;

• Director of Facilities Management at Poplar Bluff (Missouri) Medical Center;

• Director of Plant Operations at Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center in Hartsville, South Carolina (now one of Vaughan Regional’s sister ScionHealth hospitals);

• Director, Plant Operations/Environmental Services at Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center; and

• Director, Plant Operations/Environmental Services at Upstate Carolina Medical Center in Gaffney, South Carolina.

He noted that he is thrilled to have the opportunity to take the next step in his career and lead a strong community hospital like Vaughan Regional as its CEO.

“I’ve continued to take on more challenging roles in each step of my career and believe my decade at Jackson Hospital has prepared me to lead Vaughan,” said James. “I’m excited to join the team and look forward to working together to best serve the healthcare needs of our surrounding communities. We have strong programs already in place and opportunities to add or expand service lines to continue bringing care close to home, where and when patients need it.”

During McCormack’s tenure at Vaughan Regional, the hospital expanded and upgraded its services to enhance access to critical care. Significant improvements included the opening of a wound care clinic in 2020, a state-of-the-art catheterization lab in 2022, an outpatient dialysis clinic (Vaughan Kidney Care) in 2024, and a new primary care and urgent care center in 2024.

“We were able to add several necessary services at the hospital while always striving to provide the best patient outcomes and experiences,” said McCormack. “I had a great team to lean on, and I’m confident that Michael will find similar success working with the many outstanding clinicians and support staff at the hospital.”