The St. Petersburg Free Clinic has named Michael O. Bice as its Interim CEO. Beginning August 1, he will replace Free Clinic CEO Beth Houghton, who has been named CEO of the Juvenile Welfare Board. The Free Clinic’s Board of Directors selected Bice as Interim CEO based on his strong professional background and knowledge of the Free Clinic and its plans for ongoing success.
Bice has 25 years of executive leadership experience through his work at leading academic medical centers and multi-state health systems such as Rhode Island Hospital and the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He’s also lectured widely on health care topics and policy, serving as Executive-in-Residence and Acting Chair of the Department of Health Services Administration at the University of Florida. He has lived in St. Petersburg for 30 years.
Bice is a past Chairman of the Free Clinic’s Board of Directors, and has served on the Board for six years. He led the Board when the Free Clinic opened the Baldwin Women’s Residence in 2016, and directed the strategic planning for the expansion of the new Health Center and its services, which opened in 2017.
“Mike brings a strong knowledge of the community’s needs to the Interim CEO role,” said Bill Van Law, Chairman of the Free Clinic’s Board of Directors. “He has deep relationships with the Free Clinic’s leadership and staff, along with a passion for our mission.”
The Free Clinic is well positioned to carry its momentum forward with its strong leadership team, including Bice, thanks to a solid foundation that’s been significantly strengthened by Houghton over the past seven years.
Under Houghton’s leadership, the Free Clinic has reached several milestones, including opening a dedicated Health Center and Health Education Program, creating the Client Choice Food Pantry, opening the Jared S. Hechtkopf Community Food Bank, and expanding residential services by opening the Baldwin Women’s Residence and a new Men’s Residence.
The Free Clinic’s Board of Directors has formed a search committee to guide the recruitment and selection of a permanent CEO to lead the organization.