Howard Ainsley, the regional chief executive officer of the East Hawaii region of Hawaii Health Systems Corp., is resigning on Aug. 9.

The East Hawaii region operates Hilo Medical Center, HHSC’s largest facility, Hale Ho’ola Hamakua (previously known as Honoka’a Hospital) and Ka’u Hospital. HHSC affiliate, Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, is also in the region.

He will join Novant Health System in North Carolina as CEO of its newest affiliated facility, Morehead Memorial Hospital, HHSC said in a press release. Ainsley has been with the state’s quasi-public hospital system for the past five years.

Novant Health System is a private not-for-profit healthcare system with $5.8 billion in operating revenue from facilities in North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia.

Ainsley leaves HHSC as its regions are in the process of creating cost-cutting plans to help the system reduce a projected $48 million shortfall in the fiscal year beginning July 1.