New Hanover Regional Medical Center officials have hired an executive to take over the duties that incoming CEO John Gizdic performed as the hospital's COO.

Gizdic, currently hospital president, officially takes over as CEO of the growing hospital from current CEO Jack Barto on Jan. 1. 

Andre Boyd, now the CEO of Jackson North Medical Center in North Miami Beach, Florida, has agreed to join NHRMC as executive vice president of the Hospital Division beginning Oct. 31, according to a news release from the hospital.

Although his title will be different, Boyd's responsibilities will essentially be the same as those of Gizdic when he was COO, hospital officials said Monday. 

Gizdic’s promotion from within to the top role, announced in April, was one of the attributes that attracted Boyd, 40, to NHRMC, the release said.

“I’m very excited to come here. The culture is one of excellence and family. I got to see that during the interview process,” Boyd said in the announcement. “What got me excited about coming here was how well the organization develops leaders. I saw that directly with John.”

Boyd will bring 14 years of healthcare experience to his new role. The release said Becker’s Hospital Review recognized his success as a chief operating officer in 2012 by naming him one of the “100 Hospital and Health System COOs to Know,” and also three times since 2012 selected him as one of the “Rising Stars: 25 Healthcare Leaders Under 40.”

At Jackson North, a 382-bed teaching hospital that is part of the Jackson Health System and affiliated with University of Miami and Florida International University medical schools, Boyd was asked to quickly turn around the hospital’s operations, the news release said. Under his leadership, the hospital went from having all patient experience scores below the national average to having six scores at the 75th percentile and two at the 90th, according to the release.

Boyd implemented programs that partnered with physicians to improve quality and engaged the nursing and ancillary staff to take a stronger role to improve the patient experience at Jackson North, the release said.

Also during Boyd's tenure at Jackson North, the hospital’s admissions increased by 10 percent, emergency room visits increased by 25 percent, and surgeries increased by more than 10 percent while overall hospital expenses were reduced by $1.2 million, according to the release.

In the hospital’s ER when Boyd started at Jackson North, wait times were around 90 minutes and the number of patients leaving without being seen was at 6 percent, the release said. After Boyd led an operational improvement effort to implement changes, wait times dropped to less than seven minutes and those leaving without being seen to .3 percent.

Boyd said in the release that his immediate goals at NHRMC will be to develop strong working relationships with physicians, leaders, and staff, learn more about the culture and operations of NHRMC and get involved in the community.

Boyd’s previous positions include COO and chief staffing officer at Tristar Greenview Regional Hospital in Bowling Green, Kentucky; associate chief operating officer and ethics compliance officer at Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Missouri; and as business administrator of perioperative services at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Springs, Maryland.

Boyd grew up in New Orleans and attended Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Lousiana, where he played nose guard on the football team and graduated with a degree in biology. He received a masters of healthcare administration from Tulane School of Public Health in New Orleans.

Boyd and his wife, Deanna, have a 4-year-old son, A.J., and 18-month-old daughter, Avery.