Sep. 7—TRAVERSE CITY — Four years after being named CEO of Munson Medical Center, Matt Wille is moving on to become the chief operating officer of a regional hospital system in Wisconsin.

Munson Healthcare announced on Thursday that Wille will be leaving the medical center on Oct. 6 to take a new job as COO of ThedaCare in east central Wisconsin. ThedaCare operates seven hospitals and 35 health clinics in the Badger State.

In a phone interview, Wille said he is leaving Traverse City for an opportunity to move closer to his family in Minnesota's Twin Cities. Prior to taking the helm at Munson Medical Center, Wille was vice president of operations and interim president at Allina United Hospital in St. Paul, Minn.

He has been the CEO of Munson Medical Center since September 2019.

Asked how he felt about going from the CEO to a COO position, Wille said, "In my new role, I'll be the system's chief operating officer ... so it's actually a career growth opportunity for me. Instead of supporting one hospital, I'll be supporting seven hospitals."

Asked about rumors that Munson is an acquisition target and whether that was a factor in his decision, Wille said, "None whatsoever. Those rumors are out there, but that is not a strategy that we're pursuing. There's no correlation at all."

"We are grateful for Matt's leadership in advancing Munson Medical Center as a high-level specialty care hospital recognized among Fortune's Top 100 Hospitals and receiving a CMS Five-Star rating multiple times during his tenure," Laura Glenn, Munson Healthcare's COO, said in a news release.

Kathy Laraia, Munson Healthcare's vice president of oncology and professional services, will serve as president of Munson Medical Center while the hospital system searches for Wille's successor.

Wille said he wanted to express "how thankful I am to Munson Healthcare and how much my wife and I have loved living in northern Michigan. Munson Healthcare is a special place and will always hold a special place in my heart."