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Sampson Regional Medical Center honors Jerry Heinzman’s leadership and welcomes Mike Ostrander as CFO

By Staff Report, posted Nov 11, 2026 on BizFayetteville.com

Jerry Heinzman

After 21 years of dedicated service, Jerry Heinzman is transitioning from his role as chief financial officer of SampsonRMC into an advisory position. His leadership has helped strengthen the organization’s financial foundation, navigate significant challenges and preserve its independence as a community-based hospital.

As SampsonRMC looks toward the future following its 75th anniversary celebration, the organization recognizes Heinzman’s lasting contributions while welcoming Mike Ostrander as its new chief financial officer. 

Mike Ostrander

For Heinzman, whose healthcare career began in the 1990s, joining SampsonRMC was about finding a place where he could make a difference. Having worked in healthcare organizations of various sizes, he wanted to return to a community hospital where relationships mattered and employees could see firsthand the impact of their work.

Throughout his career, Heinzman has witnessed significant changes in healthcare, including hospital mergers, acquisitions and closures. Among his proudest accomplishments is helping SampsonRMC remain a successful, independent community hospital, an achievement made possible through thoughtful financial decisions, collaboration and a commitment to the people it serves.

Through both the challenges and successes, Heinzman has maintained that the strength of any organization lies in its people.

“I am a firm believer that my success is a direct result of those that I work with,” Heinzman said in a press release.

He credits his directors, managers, their teams, fellow administrators and the Board of Trustees for the hospital’s continued success. He also expressed gratitude to former leaders Dempsey Craig and Lee Pridgen for establishing a strong financial foundation that helped position the organization for the years ahead.

His approach to leadership has remained grounded in a simple philosophy: make decisions that serve the best interests of the hospital, its patients and the community.

“My goal is and always has been ‘to leave it better than I found it,’ which I believe I have done,” Heinzman shared in a press release.

Chief Executive & Chief Medical Officer of SampsonRMC Dr. Shawn Howerton recognized Heinzman’s contributions and expressed confidence in the organization’s next chapter.

“Jerry has been an exceptional leader whose dedication and sound judgment have played an important role in the success of SampsonRMC. We are incredibly grateful for his service and the lasting impact he has made on our organization,” said Howerton in a press release. “As we welcome Mike, we are confident that his experience and commitment to rural healthcare will build on that success and help guide SampsonRMC into the future.”

Although Heinzman is stepping away from his responsibilities as CFO, his involvement with SampsonRMC will continue. In his advisory role, he will remain a valuable resource, providing institutional knowledge and experience to support the organization during this transition.

Ostrander joins SampsonRMC with extensive experience in rural healthcare finance and a strong appreciation for the importance of independent, locally managed healthcare. He brings 14 years of experience as the CFO of a rural hospital in upstate New York. 

For Ostrander, SampsonRMC’s commitment to remaining independent was a major factor in his decision to join the organization.

“What attracted me to Sampson Regional is the fact that it is a small, rural, independent healthcare facility that has the stated goal of remaining independent,” Ostrander said in a press release. “I know firsthand the impact that having a high-quality, accessible and locally managed healthcare system has on the local community and the patients it serves.”

As he assumes his new responsibilities, Ostrander plans to build on the organization’s financial success through collaboration with the leadership team and employees.

“My goal is to continue the financial success of the organization in a collaborative way with all of the members of the senior leadership team and the entire organization,” Ostrander added in a press release.

While Heinzman and Ostrander bring different experiences to their roles, both share a commitment to protecting SampsonRMC’s independence and ensuring patients continue to have access to quality healthcare close to home.

“Quality care matters. Having access to healthcare services locally matters. The jobs created and the economic impact to Sampson County matter,” Ostrander said in a press release. “Being part of an independent, rural hospital, where everybody knows your name and good things happen every day, matters.”

As Ostrander begins his role as Chief Financial Officer, he will build upon that foundation while bringing his own experience and perspective to the leadership team. 

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