HANCOCK- After almost a year without one, UP Health System-Portage has a new CEO, who officially started the job on Monday.

Jeff Lang will replace Jim Bogan, who in May 2014 took a new position as market president for the Brentwood, Tennessee-based LifePoint Hospitals and Duke LifePoint Healthcare system. In his new role, Bogan oversees the LifePoint hospitals in the western Upper Peninsula, including UP Health System-Portage, UP Health System-Marquette (Marquette General Hospital) and UP Health System-Ishpeming (Bell Hospital).

After finishing with meetings in Tennessee, Lang said he will be at the UP Health System-Portage location Thursday.

Diane Torres was interim CEO at UP Health System-Portage.

Most recently, Lang spent eight years as CEO of United Hospital District in Blue Earth, Minnesota, which he described as a collaboration of several municipalities working together for local health care.

“It’s a unit of government,” he said.

With about 20 years of total experience in health care, Lang said he also worked at a rural facility in South Dakota.

Having lived much of his life in a rural area, and having worked at rural health care facilities, Lang said he was comfortable with the idea of living and working in Hancock.

“I’m from northeast Minnesota, which is similar to the Houghton/Hancock area,” he said.

Lang said he’s already started moving into a house with his wife.

He’s looking forward to getting to work at the hospital, which Lang said has a high federal government rating for customer satisfaction.

“The hospital is what I would classify as a very good hospital,” he said.

In a written statement about the hiring of Lang, Bogan said he looks forward to working with him.

“We are elated to have Jeff assume the top leadership role at our Portage location,” he said. “Jeff has a tremendous amount of experience and passion. He has served in a number of administrative roles and has a long list of accomplishments. We are very fortunate to have him joining our organization and community.”

Lang said UP Health System-Portage has talented leadership and excellent medical staff. He’s also impressed with the board of trustees.

“The facility has a very forward-looking board,” he said.

Lang said he wants to start interacting with members of the community as soon as possible to learn what residents would like from the hospital now that it has added resources from the LifePoint system.

“How do we bring those resources to bear?” he asked.