Dan McKay, chief executive officer at Sparks Health System in western Arkansas will soon be leaving his post for a position in Kentucky.
The hospital CEO recently announced plans to resign and take a position with Ephraim McDowell Health, south of Lexington. His last day at Sparks, which serves Fort Smith and Van Buren, will be July 15.
McKay has served the hospital system since 2014. He has worked for Sparks’ parent company Community Health Systems since 1993.
Sparks Health System’s Market Chief Financial Officer Brandon Bullard has been named interim CEO of Sparks Health System, which includes Sparks Regional Medical Center, Sparks Medical Center — Van Buren, Sparks Clinic, Sparks PremierCare and the Marvin Altman Fitness Center.
Ephraim McDowell Health in Danville, Ky. operates three hospitals and is an independent nonprofit organization. McKay succeeds Sally Davenport, who is retiring, as CEO.
McKay has ties to Kentucky, and said the move will bring him closer to family. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He received his master’s degree in health care administration in 1992 from Xavier University in nearby Cincinnati.