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Community Hospital CEO Craig Castro Will Retire in Early 2025
Edward Smith updated website photo 2024
By Edward Smith
Published 10 months ago on
November 22, 2024

After more than 20 years with Community Health Systems, Craig Castro announced he will retire in early 2025. (GV Wire Composite/Paul Marshall)

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After five years as president and CEO and more than 20 with Community Health Systems, Craig Castro announced he would retire in early 2025.

Castro came into the position days before the hospital received its first COVID-19 patient, and as CEO oversaw the expansion of Clovis Community Medical Center.

“After a great deal of reflection, I let our board of trustees know this week that I’ve decided to retire early next week,” Castro told GV Wire in a statement. “My nearly 40 years in healthcare has been an incredible journey and we’ve accomplished a lot in my tenure at Community.

“I know I will leave our organization in a great place, and I’m extremely grateful to be part of its rich legacy of serving all who need us.”

Clovis Hospital Expansion, New Provider Network Under Castro

Castro became CEO only days before getting the first COVID-19 patient. Hospitals had to pivot operations and survive months without many elective services essential for finances. Like other area hospitals, the virus impacted Community Regional and Clovis Community medical centers.

Also during Castro’s tenure, the health system greatly expanded Clovis Community. Two five-story towers added 288 beds, from 109 in 2009. The hospital also built out the Community Cancer Institute.

Two community groups sued Community Health for the expansion of the Clovis hospital, saying Medi-Cal money should have been invested in the system’s downtown hospital instead. The lawsuit is in its early stages and Community Health described it as “baseless.”

Board of trustees chair Roger Sturdevant attributed the creation of the hospitals’ own doctor and provider network to Castro’s leadership. The Community Provider Network now has 500 members.

Inspire Medical Group, a network of specialty physicians, many of whom organized a walkout in 2020 that jeopardized the hospital’s Level 1 trauma status, recently agreed to pay $1.2 million in a settlement.

“With Thanksgiving upon us, it is fitting to express our immense gratitude to Craig for his many bold achievements during his leadership tenure,” said Sturdevant.

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Edward Smith,
Multimedia Journalist
Edward Smith began reporting for GV Wire in May 2023. His reporting career began at Fresno City College, graduating with an associate degree in journalism. After leaving school he spent the next six years with The Business Journal, doing research for the publication as well as covering the restaurant industry. Soon after, he took on real estate and agriculture beats, winning multiple awards at the local, state and national level. You can contact Edward at 559-440-8372 or at Edward.Smith@gvwire.com.

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