CEO: Scott Thoreson's Final CCMH Update
June 17, 2026
By Scott Thoreson/CCMH CEO
This will be my final CCMH Update, as I will be retiring the end of this month. It has gone quickly, recalling my first drive coming south out of Chillicothe on Highway 65. We were driving behind a pickup with a young girl in the back, hair flying, holding onto a baby goat, while flood waters crept closer to the roadway. I hadn’t realized the impact of what rain could do to the highway system, but I have certainly learned since then. My wife, Gwen, and I have been warmly received and have been made to feel like life-long residents of Carroll County, and we will continue to keep Carrollton as our home base. We will become first-time grandparents in September and again in October, so we will get to experience the joys of which many of you have already grown accustomed. We will also spend time visiting family in Minnesota, Iowa, Colorado, Arizona and Florida and perhaps get back into RVing, while also hitting the bicycle trails as often as possible.
It has been my honor and privilege to have served as the Chief Executive Officer at Carroll County Memorial Hospital (CCMH) these past five years. I inherited a high performing medical center, and I believe it has continued to flourish and become even better as evidenced by our Top 100 and Top 20 Critical Access Hospital designations over the last number of years. There have been employees in the building who have advanced in their profession and that gives me great satisfaction. I like to say that CCMH is the “teaching-est non-teaching hospital” in Missouri, and we have had a part with an untold number of students who will impact society in meaningful ways. We have made a difference in many lives, not only in Carroll County, but in surrounding communities and visitors who happen to be spending time in our area. I’d like to thank the area residents for allowing us to be part of your lives and put your trust in our care, for without patients we are nothing. I leave CCMH in the extremely capable hands of Blake Riley, who will continue the fine tradition of leadership that has been present for 60 plus years at this institution. Everyone at CCMH will continue to work hard to address needs and provide the services that make sense for our service area. Lastly and always, I wish you good health!
More in this Series:
CEO: Top Critical Access Hospital Honor for 4 Consecutive Years (Published March 4, 2026)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-top-critcial-access-hospital-honor-for-4-consecutive-years
CEO: Outpatient Specialists – Cardiology (Published November 26, 2025)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-outpatient-specialists-cardiology
CEO: One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Published October 29, 2025)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-one-big-beautiful-bill-act
CEO: Growing the Next Generation (Published July 16, 2025)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-growing-the-next-generation
CEO: National Hospital Week 2025 (Published May 14, 2025)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-national-hospital-week-2025
CEO: Advance Directives (Published April 14, 2025)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-advance-directives
CEO: Health Insurance Decision Time (Published September 25, 2024)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-health-insurance-decision-time
CEO: Hospital Week 2024 (Published May 13, 2024)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-hospital-week-2024
CEO: Community Health Needs Initial Assessment (Published April 24, 2024)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-community-health-needs-initial-assessment
CEO: Cybersecurity (Published February 14, 2024)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-cybersecurity
CEO: End of Year Reflections (Published December 29, 2023)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-end-of-the-year-reflections
CEO: Coding Matters (Published November 22, 2023)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-coding-matters
CEO: Maternity Care Desert (Published October 25, 2023)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-maternity-care-desert
CEO: Rural Emergency Hospitals (Published September 20, 2023)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-rural-emergency-hospitals
CEO: Primary Care Provider (Published August 23, 2023)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-primary-care-provider
CEO: Supply Shortages (Published June 28, 2023)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-supply-shortages
CEO: CCMH Named Top 20 Critical Access Hospital (Published June 14, 2023)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-ccmh-named-top-20-critical-access-hospital
CEO: Hospital Week 2023 (Published May 3, 2023)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-hospital-week-2023
CEO: Prior Authorizations (Published April 5, 2023)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-prior-authorizations
CEO: Staff Shortage and Open Positions (Published February 8, 2023)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-staff-shortage-and-open-positions
CEO: End of Year 2022 (Published December 14, 2022)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-end-of-2022
CEO: Purpose of the Foundation (Published November 10, 2022)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/purpose-of-the-foundation
CEO: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (Published September 28, 2022)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-health-insurance-portability-and-accountability-act
CEO: CCMH Providers (Published August 24, 2022)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-ccmh-providers
CEO: Financial Assistance (Published July 20, 2022)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-financial-assistance
CEO: Social Determinants of Health (Published June 29, 2022)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-social-determinants-of-health
CEO: National Hospital Week (Published May 11, 2022)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-national-hospital-week
CEO: Why Healthcare is Expensive (Published May 4, 2022)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-why-healthcare-is-expensive
CEO: A Hospital is Still a Business (Published March 16, 2022)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-a-hospital-is-still-a-business
CEO: Different Types of Hospital Ownership (Published February 1, 2022)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-different-types-of-hospital-ownership
CEO: Holiday Message (Published December 20, 2021)
https://www.carrollcountyhospital.org/news/ceo-holiday-message