NATCHEZ — After months of searching for a leader, the Natchez Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees didn’t have to look far.

Newly appointed interim CEO Lana Morgan has spent more than 40 years being affiliated with the hospital through her family and her career of 19 years at Natchez Regional.

Before being asked take over as the hospital’s CEO, Morgan worked as the Chief Operations Officer at the hospital.

“We went out and did a CEO search for the last five months,” chairman Dan Bland said. “We hired a company out of Atlanta to search for (a candidate.) And what we found was right inside our own hospital.”

Bland said he’s got every confidence that Morgan is what the hospital needs while it strengthens after coming out of its Chapter 9 bankruptcy.

“(Lana) knows the hospital, she’s gone through a restructuring, and she knows our situation with recruitment efforts,” Bland said. “She’s a very intelligent person, and we looked at her and said, ‘Hey, we got her right here.’”

Morgan’s hospital experiences take her from watching her mother work at the hospital as nurse to her late husband Dr. Mal Morgan’s 20 years spent on staff to her own employment with Natchez Regional.

“I want what’s best for the hospital. This is my second home. I grew up here,” Morgan said.

While the CEO position was offered to Morgan, it was her idea to be named interim.

Morgan said she was happy to be filling the position and leading the hospital into a secure and prosperous future, but if someone more qualified were to approach the board, she would be willing to hand the position over that that person.

However, in the meantime, Morgan said she hopes to continue to help the hospital succeed not only in business, but in patient care, as well.

“I think it’s unique that my background is nursing,” Morgan said. “I started here as a nursing assistant and worked in almost every (nursing) position here.

“I bring the clinical side of nursing to the table, and one of my main focuses is to deliver quality patient care, and that starts at the bedside table, and I feel that I know that part,” Morgan said.

As interim CEO, Morgan will be in charge of day-to-day business operations, recruiting new physicians and projects the hospital is working on.

“We’ve been through a lot for the past 18 months, but we’ve pulled together and done a lot as far as team work goes, and I’m glad to be part of that team and to lead that team,” Morgan said.

“I’m excited and I’m also a little nervous. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’ up for it,” Morgan said.

Morgan has previously held the positions of chief operations officer; chief nursing officer; coronary care unit manager; critical care educator and staff nurse; director of education and quality; infection control and joint commission liaison.

Bruce Buchanan, of Healthcare Management Partners, is still currently serving as the hospital’s chief administrative officer.