James W. Donovan, president and CEO of Damariscotta-based Lincoln County Healthcare, was installed as chairman of the Maine Hospital Association Board of Directors on Wednesday night at the association's summer forum at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

Donovan succeeds outgoing chairman Rebecca Arsenault, president and CEO of Franklin Memorial Hospital. Arsenault now becomes the association’s immediate past chairman. Chuck Hays, CEO of MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta, becomes the chairman-elect. Peter Sirois, CEO of Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent becomes treasurer. Charles Therrien, president and CEO of Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth, becomes board secretary.

Joining the board are John Ronan, CEO of Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, member at large; Mary Jane Krebs, CEO of Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook, chairman of the Mental Health Council; and Mer Doucette, chief financial officer at Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan chair of the Healthcare Finance Council.

Donovan began his position at Lincoln County Healthcare in June of 2008. In 2013, he oversaw the merger of Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta and St. Andrews Hospital in Boothbay Harbor to form a single, critical access hospital known as LincolnHealth.

With more than 35 years of experience as a health care executive, Donovan has held top health care positions in Maine including president and CEO of Brighton Medical Center in Portland and president and CEO of the Maine Partners Health Plan, a managed care organization that was owned jointly by Maine Medical Center and Anthem.