PeaceHealth Northwest CEO announces 2026 retirement

PeaceHealth Northwest Region chief executive Chuck Prosper plans to retire at the end of 2026, after joining the system in 2019 and guiding the region through the COVID-19 pandemic. His tenure included advancing the expansion of St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, a $336 million project expected to add about 120,000 square feet and 80 patient rooms, with completion anticipated in 2028. PeaceHealth has begun searching for a successor, who will oversee hospitals and clinics in Bellingham, Sedro-Woolley and Friday Harbor. The leadership change comes amid broader executive turnover at PeaceHealth and renewed local concerns about the decline of locally rooted leadership; Prosper’s successor will also face financial pressures confronting hospitals, including uncertainty over federal Medicaid cuts.