Lower Keys Medical Center CEO Announces Plans to Retire

David Clay will leave at end of September and end his 40-year career

KEY WEST, Fla., Aug. 8, 2024 – Chief Executive Officer David Clay has announced his plans to retire from Lower Keys Medical Center at the end of September, ending a 40-year career in healthcare. Clay will relocate to be closer to his father.

Since joining the hospital in 2016, Clay has advanced medical services and quality and led the team through Hurricane Irma and the COVID pandemic. More primary and specialty care is available locally through successful recruitment of primary care providers and specialists in gastroenterology, pulmonology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry and general and interventional cardiology.

“I’m committed to the success of Lower Keys Medical Center but I’ve come to the time in life where it’s important to provide my father with the support he needs,” said Clay. “Key West is a very special place and it has been my privilege to work alongside our board of trustees, physicians and employees to deliver and enhance the medical services available here in the Keys.”

Advanced cardiovascular services including cardiac catheterization and timely delivery of chest pain and stroke care by the emergency room are saving lives. Behavioral health has grown with the expansion of inpatient behavioral health and establishment of outpatient treatment resources.

“David is an excellent leader and a champion for quality medical care in the community,” said Dr. Robin Lockwood, Chairman, Lower Keys Medical Center Board of Trustees. “He has kept our hospital on a forward-looking path and established strong relationships in the community. We wish him all the best as he enters this new phase of life.”

Clay has served on the board of directors for the Greater Key West Chamber of Commerce and Sunrise Rotary since 2018, serving as 2023-2024 president of Sunrise Rotary. He is also on the board of Surgery Center of Key West.

Clay began his career as a respiratory therapist, and quickly advanced to leadership roles for hospitals in North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Oklahoma.

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