Northwest Health Shuffles COO

We hear that Northwest Health System Inc. has hired Mark Bethel as its new chief operating officer at Bentonville’s Northwest Medical Center of Benton County.

The position has been vacant since administrator and COO Gary Bever left to join the staff at Washington Regional Medical System in November. Northwest CEO Bill Bradley and senior vice president Tami Hutchison also left for Washington Regional this year.

Gary Looper was recently named CEO of Northwest after a five-week stint as its interim CEO. He came to the system from another Triad hospital, Woodland Heights Medical Center in Lufkin, Texas.