The Iowa Health System board of directors today appointed Bill Leaver as the hospital system’s next president and chief executive officer. Leaver will replace Sam Wallace, who will retire on Dec. 31.

For almost seven years, Leaver has served as president and CEO of Trinity Regional Health System in the Quad Cities, which is a senior affiliate hospital of Iowa Health System. He has 30 years of executive health-care experience.

“Iowa Health System looked for a well respected health-care executive to guide our system into the future. Bill Leaver has impeccable credentials as well as a leadership style and vision that will ensure we reach our goals,” Iowa Health System Board Chair Don Ross said.

The board had selected Howard Kern, president and CEO of Sentara Healthcare, to succeed Wallace, but announced last week that Kern had rescinded his acceptance for personal reasons. Sentara is an integrated health system operating in Virginia and North Carolina.

Iowa Health System consists of 11 Iowa hospitals, including Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, along with a group of 450 employed physicians and 128 clinics in 68 communities in Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois.