The Northwest Medical Center Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Jon D. Doolittle of Kansas City as its next President and Chief Executive Officer.  Doolittle will succeed John W. Richmond who will retire in September 2010 after a distinguished 29-year career with the hospital.  Kevin Harding, Chairman of the Board, commented, “Our Board is very impressed with Jon’s knowledge of national healthcare issues, his intelligence, integrity, and absolute commitment to the Albany community.  We are confident he will dedicate himself to the success of the hospital and feel fortunate that he has accepted the position.”Prior to joining Northwest Medical Center, Doolittle completed over eleven years in the healthcare industry with Kansas City- based Cerner Corporation.  In his most recent role as Senior Manager with Cerner’s Health Division, he directed design, sales, and delivery of Cerner’s wellness and condition management services.  Other highlights of his Cerner career include work with health system clients to ensure their regulatory compliance and quality improvement, and as the Senior Business Developer for “CareEntrust”, an award-winning Kansas City business that supplies a “first-of-a-kind” personally-controlled electronic health record system.  This month, Jon begins an Administrative Fellowship assignment with Heartland Health in St. Joseph, Missouri.   In that role, he will serve as a member of the Heartland executive team while also working with Mr. Richmond and other members of the Northwest Medical Center team to ensure an optimal transition upon Richmond’s retirement in 2010.“I have long admired Northwest Medical Center, and I have tremendous appreciation for the services its employees and affiliates have delivered to my family and friends,” said Mr. Doolittle.  “I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to lead its continued growth and improvement in the place I have always called home.  The Northwest Medical Center team and the people we serve will know me as a person who cares deeply about them, and who works diligently to ensure that we provide a world-class experience for them.”