Gordon Carver Jr., chairman of the PMH trustees, said Tuesday that, following a “lengthy search process of over three months,” five candidates were chosen to come in for interviews. Those five came from Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama and North Carolina.

The five were narrowed to three finalists by the search committee, Carver said, which was comprised of hospital senior management, trustees and members of the Duke hospital system.

“And from that,” said Carver, “we offered [the position] to Jamie. We are happy,” said Carver, “to announce that he accepted and are looking forward to his experience and new ideas to continue improving our community hospital.”

Guin will join the hospital team as leader of a staff of over 350 on April 14.

He comes to Person County with 25 years of experience in health care, most recently at Mountain View Regional Medical Center in Norton, Virginia. Guin has served as CEO of Mountain View Regional since 2005, according to the hospital.

Prior to this position, he was CEO at Williamson Memorial Hospital in Williamson, West Virginia and served as chief operating officer at Davis Regional Medical Center in Statesville.

His health care career began as a respiratory therapist in Hartsville, South Carolina.

“Thus, he has both direct clinical and administrative leadership experience,” according to the hospital.

Guin received both his bachelor of science and masters in health service administration

from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Carver said that Guin “was attracted to Person Memorial Hospital by the excellence of the services offered to the community, the opportunity to live and work in this community, and the hospital’s relationship with the Duke University Medical Center.

He is married and has a 10-year-old son.

Interim CEO V. Otis Wilson will remain until Guinn takes the hospital reins this spring.

The hospital board of trustees began its national search to name a new hospital leader after former CEO Craig James left in September 2007. James announced last August that he would leave, after six years at Person Memorial Hospital, to take a position with Mountain States Health Care in Tennessee.

Guin will oversee the completion of the hospital’s $13 million building and renovation project that is currently underway.

Carver said this week that the project at the hospital, which began in 2005, was a little behind schedule but that he expects completion by late this year.

Expansion of the hospital’s surgical suite and emergency department, a private family waiting room and additional recovery rooms in the surgical suite is complete.

Additional space in the emergency department will be the next thing completed, Carver said.

The hospital’s rehabilitation services and respiratory care services have been expanded and specialty clinics were moved to the first floor of the hospital annex.

The intensive care unit at the hospital is also being renovated, making all six beds private. Carver said the, “ICU will be the last thing. We hope to finish it by the end of 2008.”