Updated Jan. 8, 10:51 a.m.

The GW Hospital is looking for a new leader after CEO Trent Crable stepped down more than three months ago.

Crable’s resignation was announced in a brief letter to hospital employees eight days before his departure Sept. 30, but the change in leadership was only made public Friday through an article in the Washington Business Journal.

The letter, which came from the outside company that maintains primary ownership of the hospital, called Crable’s decision to resign “mutually agreeable.”

Crable served in the post temporarily beginning in June 2008 before assuming the permanent title of chief executive officer and managing director of the hospital in January 2009. Chief Operating Officer Kim Russo and Chief Financial Officer Rick Davis will share the responsibility of overseeing hospital operations during the ongoing national search for a replacement.

Lisa McDonald, director of marketing and business development for the hospital, said Crable’s resignation was not related to the recent reorganization of the medical center, which split the three medical schools of the University into separate entitles after a yearlong review, or recent leadership shifts in the medical center.

McDonald declined to comment as to why the change in hospital leadership was not previously made public through its communication arm. The hospital has not published a press release on its website since Sept. 20 and it has not yet updated all of the site’s pages to reflect Crable’s resignation.

The top levels of University leadership were informed of the vacancy, but as a legally distinct body, the hospital has no obligation to report such news to the broader GW community.

McDonald also declined to provide a target date for naming a new leader.