ROCKLAND — Pen Bay Healthcare said late Friday, March 7, that Mark Biscone, executive director at Waldo County Healthcare in Belfast, will act as the nonprofit’s interim CEO beginning March 14.

"Since the announcement of Wade Johnson's decision to resign as President and CEO last week, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees met to discuss a transition plan and transitional leadership for Pen Bay Healthcare," said Everett Spear III, chairman of the Board of Trustees at Pen Bay Healthcare, in a news release. "The Executive Committee and the full Board of Trustees discussed the need to have an experienced health care administrator during this transition and to ensure that performance improvement efforts begun over the past several months continue to achieve the results expected by the Board.”

Biscone will retain his current role at Waldo during the transition, and has been asked to team with Erik Frederick, chief operating officer at Pen Bay, to assure seamless leadership continuity, the nonprofit said.

Biscone has been executive director at Waldo County Healthcare for more than 30 years.

During his tenure, Waldo County General Hospital grew from a critical access hospital, to a healthcare system providing home health, hospice, in addition to skilled nursing and assisted living care, the release said.

“In 2009, Waldo County General Hospital was one of only three rural hospitals nationwide chosen to receive Leapfrog's prestigious Top Hospital Award for delivering high quality care while attaining the highest levels of efficiency,” the release said. “Mark is a certified public accountant, a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and active in the local community.”

"The Board has also begun the work of creating the search committee that will make the selection of Pen Bay Healthcare's next President and Chief Executive Officer," Spear said. "I have asked Greg Dufour, current member of the Board of Trustees, and President of Camden National Bank, to chair that committee.”

The search committee is most likely to select a consulting firm to assist in the national search for a permanent president and CEO. That search process is expected to take approximately six months.

Last week, Pen Bay Healthcare announced the departure of its president and CEO Wade Johnson, saying it was his personal decision to resign and leave the area in mid-April for an opportunity in Idaho.

Pen Bay Healthcare includes Pen Bay Medical Center, Pen Bay Physicians  Associates, Kno-Wal-Lin Home Care and Hospice, Quarry Hill Retirement Community and the Knox Center for Long Term Care. Pen Bay Healthcare is a member of the MaineHealth system. For more information, visit penbayhealthcare.org.