Natchez — Embattled Natchez Regional Medical Center has a new face in the CEO office.

Quorum Health Resources, a Brentwood, Tenn., management company that currently has a management contract with Natchez Regional, named Jim Richardson as the new CEO Monday.

The announcement came shortly before the hospital’s board of trustees met Monday morning. The news came as a bit of a surprise at least one board member said privately.

Richardson replaces former CEO Jeff Wesselman, who turned in his resignation last month. Wesselman was immediately relieved of duty at NRMC but said he is still employed by Quorum.

Quorum Vice President Chip Holmes said the decision was “in the best interest of Jeff and the hospital.”

Richardson has years of experience working with hospitals in troubled or transition stages, Holmes said.

“When you see Jim’s bio, you’ll see that his skill set and his experience will make him uniquely qualified to help the hospital with the challenges this hospital is facing,” Holmes said.

Although Richardson’s biographical information was not immediately available Tuesday, Wesselman said he understands Richardson to be a former Navy fighter pilot and highly skilled, working “exclusively in turnaround situations” for Quorum.

Despite being disappointed that he was unable to turn Regional around, Wesselman is optimistic about the hospital’s future.

“I know that Natchez Regional provides a great service and there’s a lot of great people working there,” he said. “I wish nothing but the best for it and I hope it becomes successful.”

The surprise move in naming a new interim CEO underscores Quorum’s existing management with NRMC.

Last month, Natchez Regional’s Board of Trustees voted to terminate Quorum’s contract, but that vote did not officially sever ties with company.

Since Quorum has a valid contract that doesn’t expire until September 2009, it’s not as easy as simply saying, “goodbye.”

“It’s the intention of the board to discuss the early termination of the contract,” board attorney Walter Brown said Tuesday. “Even if you have cause (to break the contract) you have to give them official notice.”

Parting company with Quorum will take some time, Brown said.

“It’s clear we need a transition period,” he said.

Holmes said no formal notification had been given to Quorum, despite the board’s informal attempt to sever the relationship, but hinted that it was certainly possible.

“If either party were, in the opinion of the other party, to breach that contract, there are provisions to end the contract,” Holmes said.

Quorum is paid approximately $200,000 per year to help the board of trustees locate a CEO and CFO to run the hospital, along with offering certain professional services and consulting services.

“Truthfully we’re all just focused on the hospital now,” Holmes said.