MountainView Regional Medical Center announced that veteran health care executive Jim Geist has been appointed Chief Executive Officer.

Geist has a successful track record in hospital operations, finance, development and expansion of services in hospitals of similar size to MountainView. Most recently, he was Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Havasu Regional Medical Center in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., where he led a $10 million renovation and expansion project and reinstated an open-heart program with a new outpatient cardiac rehab program.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the very talented, dedicated employees and medical staff at MountainView,” Geist said. “I look forward to building on the team’s accomplishments and being a part of many future successes as well as an integral part of the Las Cruces community.”

Geist has also served as Chief Financial Officer for hospitals in West Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia. He has a Master’s Degree in Health Service Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.