FAIRBURY - Jefferson Community Health & Life CEO Chad Jurgens announced earlier this month that he's pursuing a new job opportunity.

JCH&L’s board of directors made the announcement public Tuesday.

Jurgens, who's been CEO of JCH&L for six years, and the CFO for 13 years prior to that, has accepted the position of senior executive of financial services at Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center. He's expected to begin the new position in November.

The JCH&L board voted at its October meeting to work with a search firm to find a new CEO. An interim CEO is expected to be named.

During Jurgens’ tenure, JCH&L acquired the Fairbury Clinic, opened the Plymouth Clinic last September, completed an $8 million renovation project, was named one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation in 2018 and was recognized as one of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals in the nation for five of the last six years.

Additional honors and achievement during Jurgens' tenure include JCH&L receiving five-star ratings for Gardenside long-term care, receiving the Bronze Commitment to Quality Award for Gardenside long-term care, the Spirit Award in 2019 and the Star award in 2015 from the Nebraska Safety Council.

Jurgens was named CEO of JCH&L in June 2013.

"The board accepted his resignation with regret, and has begun the process of finding another excellent leader for the organization,” said Brian Scheele, the JCH&L board president. “We appreciate Chad’s leadership, and wish him well in his next endeavor."