WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) has officially launched the search for a new Chief Medical Officer (CMO), the hospital’s Supervisory Board announced today. A specialized recruitment agency has been hired to lead the selection process. 

The incoming CMO will be tasked with guiding the hospital in achieving its ambitious strategic goals, with a continued emphasis on high-quality care and excellent patient service, the CMC emphasized. 

The vacancy comes as Professor Dr. Ingemar Merkies is set to step down from his role as Medical Director on December 31, 2025. In a statement released on May 9, the hospital confirmed that Merkies will fully dedicate himself to neurology and academic research beginning in 2026. He has held the position since October 2019. 

The Supervisory Board praised Merkies for playing a key role in the development of the CMC into a leading healthcare institution in the Caribbean region. His leadership, the hospital noted, has been instrumental in enhancing the quality of medical care on the island. 

The recruitment process aims to find a successor who can build on Merkies' legacy and help steer the hospital into its next phase of growth and innovation.