Terry Odom

The Powell Valley Healthcare Board of Directors announced Monday that CEO Terry Odom will be retiring in the first quarter of 2023. 

“Terry [Odom] is difficult to replace … She’ll be missed. But she’s done a great job of setting us up for the future,” said Board Treasurer R.J. Kost. 

The position will be advertised immediately. The board will select several members to serve on a selection committee, which will decide on some of the qualities that would best fit the position. Kost noted that one quality they’ll look for is someone regional, possibly from other Billings Clinic affiliates. 

“We want someone with a similar culture and climate to what we have, rather than getting someone … who doesn’t understand what it is to be a rural provider,” Kost said. 

In the event the board doesn’t find a good candidate from that search criteria, they can go wider, Kost added. 

Odom said she would be involved in the selection process, as will Billings Clinic. 

“It’s bittersweet, but we’ll work with the board and the selection committee to find a great replacement for Terry [Odom],” said Nicole Hobbs, vice president of regional operations for Billings Clinic. 

Speaking after the meeting, Kost said the board aims to begin interviews with potential candidates in October, with a decision made by the November monthly board meeting. 

The timing aims to have an offer extended and accepted prior to the January organization meeting when new board members start their terms. This election year will have five openings on the board.

Kost said Chris Cox, who was appointed in April after a board member resigned, has filed to run for the remaining two years of the term this November. Kost will also run for his position. 

That will leave Syd Thompson and Boni Katz as the only board members who have a lot of experience serving, and depending on how the election goes, three or more new members will start in January. 

Kost said he was sorry to see Odom go, but he also expressed understanding of the decision. 

“We all hit that point where it’s time to move on,” Kost said, noting that Odom had led PVHC through its 2016 bankruptcy that resulted from extensive litigation related to surgeries performed years prior by Dr. Jeffrey Hansen. She also led the hospital through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“She has been an amazing CEO. She has taken us through some of the hardest times a hospital could go through,” Kost said. 

In an email, Odom said that she will also help with onboarding the new CEO next year. She thanked the staff, providers, volunteers, and board members for the opportunity to serve in her position over the past seven years. 

“It has been my privilege to serve Powell Valley Healthcare and the community of Powell,” Odom said. “The board’s guidance and support has been invaluable as we approached each challenge and opportunity. I’m fortunate to have been a part of such a dedicated team.”