Hospital Business News Includes the Naming of a New CEO at Lahey

• W. Trent Crable becomes CEO of UP Health System–Marquette in Michigan this month. He was CEO of Northside Medical Center in Youngstown, Ohio.

• Gary Gray, M.D., was appointed CEO for Natividad Medical Center in September. He had been interim CEO for seven months. Gray served in a number of physician leadership roles at NMC over the past 14 years, most recently as chief medical officer and interim CEO.

• Charles Gijanto was appointed president and CEO for Oswego (N.Y.) Health. He was president of Baystate Regional Markets, a division of Baystate Health, Springfield, Mass.

• Bernie Sherry became chief operating officer of the Nashville-based Ascension Health ministry. He was president and CEO of Ascension’s Saint Thomas Midtown and Saint Thomas West Hospitals. Don King, who was COO of Saint Thomas Midtown and Saint Thomas West Hospitals, became president and CEO of the two hospitals.

• Paul Llobet, M.D., medical director of Margaret Hospital in Margaretville, N.Y., became the critical access hospital’s executive director in September. He replaces Sandra Horan, who held the position since 2010 and was the chief nursing officer of HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley. Horan remains as CNO there and adds management oversight of HealthAlliance Mental Health Services.

• Linda Moulton was named CEO of Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, Mass., in September. She oversees LHMC’s executive and international health programs. From 2012 to 2014, Moulton was vice chair of the board of trustees for Lahey Health, and also chaired the board’s investment committee.

• Clint Purvance, M.D., became president and CEO of Barton Health, South Lake Tahoe, Calif., in September. He had been chief medical officer for Barton Health for the past eight years.

• James R. Carter was named COO of LifePoint Health’s Eastern Group of facilities in September. He was administrator of Conway Hospital, part of Baptist Health of Little Rock, Ark.

• Three officers were appointed at the LifePoint Health Support Center in Brentwood, Tenn. Kristi Morrow has been named senior vice president, integrated revenue management; Vanessa Peters has been named vice president, nursing and clinical operations, Central Group; and Jason Ross has been named vice president, population health. Morrow was vice president of finance, strategic pricing and analytics for Hospital Corp. of America. Peters was interim CNO at Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City, La. Ross was senior vice president of provider and consumer solutions at Healthcare Bluebook Inc., Nashville, Tenn.

• The Ohio State University has appointed Mark Larmore new chief financial officer of the Wexner Medical Center. He was CFO and senior group vice president of New York-Presbyterian Hospital since 2011.

• Kristin Jones, chief of staff to Speaker Michael E. Busch of the Maryland House of Delegates, joins the University of Maryland Medical System on Oct 19 as vice president of external affairs. Her primary duties will include project management, network development and coordination, and government relations.

• Saint Francis Care, Hartford, Conn., named Denise M. Peterson, R.N., vice president, professional nursing practice and quality, and CNO. She was executive director of surgical services at Saint Francis.

• Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Fla., appointed David Rice, M.D., vice president and chief quality officer. He was chief medical officer of Baptist Physician Partners, a not-for-profit subsidiary of Baptist Health. Board-certified in internal medicine, Rice is a longtime hospitalist for Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville. Tim G. Groover, M.D., an anesthesiologist practicing at Baptist Medical Center, succeeds Rice as CMO of Baptist Physician Partners.

• Granite Health, Concord, N.H., named P. Travis Harker, M.D., CMO. Additionally, in collaboration with Granite Health’s clinical leadership teams, Harker will spearhead local medical management functions for the organization’s new health insurance company, Tufts Health Freedom Plan. Previously, he was medical director for Concord Hospital’s Family Health Centers and chair of its clinical practice and quality improvement committee.

Name Change

• North Shore–LIJ Health System, Great Neck, N.Y., will change its name to Northwell Health. The new name will be the centerpiece of a broad rebranding and marketing campaign that will be launched in 2016. The current name stems from the 1997 merger of the North Shore Health System and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. The system’s 21 hospitals will retain their names, system leaders said, “in recognition of their rich and unique community-based histories.”

Mergers & acquisitions

• The North Shore-LIJ Health System, Great Neck, N.Y., and Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., have taken steps toward full integration. The phased approach began in September with a comprehensive strategic partnership, with both institutions maintaining their independence and separate governance structures. Maimonides will continue to operate as a full-service, tertiary and teaching hospital and be a critical component of a growing network of services that North Shore-LIJ and Maimonides will establish in Brooklyn. The strategic partnership will comprise joint ventures and other activities.

• Ascension and Crittenton Hospital Medical Center signed a definitive agreement for Crittenton to become part of Ascension Michigan. Ascension Michigan includes St. John Providence in southeast Michigan, Borgess Health in Kalamazoo, Genesys in Grand Blanc, St. Mary’s of Michigan in Saginaw and Standish, and St. Joseph Health System in Tawas. Financial terms of the transaction will not be disclosed.

• LifePoint Health and Watertown (Wis.) Regional Medical Center finalized a joint venture to share ownership and operation of the hospital. The joint venture will invest $100 million in WRMC and the community over the next 10 years. LifePoint will own 80 percent of the hospital, while WRMC and the community will retain a 20 percent ownership stake. Governance of the hospital will be shared through the creation of a board with equal representation from both WRMC and LifePoint. Proceeds from the joint venture transaction will be used to pay off WRMC’s existing financial obligations, and the remaining assets will be used to create a charitable foundation called the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation, focused on community health.

• Cedars-Sinai Health System purchased 145-bed Marina Del Rey Hospital and its neighboring medical office building. Marina Del Rey Hospital will operate as a distinct community hospital affiliate of the Cedars-Sinai Health System and will continue to provide its existing services, including a 24-hour emergency department. The hospital will convert to nonprofit status, which will result in an enhanced mission to serve the health care needs of the local community, including provision of community benefit programs. Previously, Marina Del Rey Hospital was owned by a partnership led by Westridge Capital. All 660 employees will remain employees of Marina Del Rey Hospital.

• Northside Hospital and Gwinnett Medical Center have approved a non-binding letter of intent to begin exclusive discussions to combine their operations and create a major health care system serving rapidly growing areas of the Atlanta region and North Georgia. Anchored by Northside Hospital in Sandy Springs and Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville, the system would include hospitals in Canton, Cumming and Duluth, as well as cancer treatment centers, imaging centers, medical office buildings, urgent care centers and other outpatient locations throughout the state. Altogether, the Northside-Gwinnett Medical combined system would have nearly 1,400 beds. Northside Hospital CEO Bob Quattrocchi and Gwinnett Medical Center CEO Philip Wolfe said they are targeting early 2016 as a potential closing date for the deal.

• Saint Mary’s Health System in Waterbury, Conn., signed an agreement with Trinity Health and Saint Francis Care that outlines Saint Mary’s membership in the new Trinity Health region, which includes the Sisters of Providence Health System in Springfield, Mass.

• Presence Health and Physicians Immediate Care have formed a new joint venture that will operate urgent care and occupational medicine facilities in the greater Chicago area. The joint venture will manage 10 immediate care/occupational medicine clinics. Both organizations will work together to develop additional sites. Presence Health will be Physicians Immediate Care’s exclusive health system partner within the designated regions and Physicians Immediate Care will be Presence Health’s exclusive urgent care/occupational health services partner within the designated regions.

• Iasis Healthcare, Nashville, Tenn., announced that the Medical Center of Southeast Texas in Port Arthur, completed the acquisition of Victory Medical Center Beaumont and has renamed it the Medical Center of Southeast Texas Victory Campus.

Awards

• The Association for the Healthcare Environment and media sponsor Health Facilities Management named the winners of the hospital Environmental Services Department of the Year in the ES2015 competition. The winners and their categories are: Northside Hospital, Atlanta, Fiona Nemetz, director of environmental services, safety and security, 450 or more beds, and Seton Medical Center Williamson, Round Rock, Texas, Enrique Marquez, environmental services director (Touchpoint Support Services), 150 or fewer beds. Certificates of Merit went to the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Jose Rodriguez, manager of program operations, 450 or more beds; and, for hospitals with 150 or fewer beds, Specialty Hospital, Jacksonville, Fla., Tammy E. Fitch, director of environmental services; Blanchard Valley Hospital, Findlay, Ohio, Robin Cramer, environmental services/linen/communications/hazardous materials manager; and Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, Linda C. Rogers, environmental services manager. Visit www.hfmmagazine.com.

Calendar

Nov. 12-14: CAPC National Seminar 2015, San Antonio

The Center to Advance Palliative Care event provides insights and tools to start and sustain a palliative care program across care settings and spread skills to front-line clinicians. A Pre-Con Camp Nov. 11 will focus on developing palliative care in community settings. Visit www.capc.org.

Nov. 29-Dec. 4: RSNA Scientific Assembly, Annual Meeting, Chicago

Radiology industry leaders at this year’s meeting will celebrate RSNA’s 100 years with a look back at the evolution of radiology and a look to the future of the field. For information, visit www.rsna.org.

Dec. 6-9: National Forum on Quality Improvement, Orlando

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s 27th annual forum will feature speakers such as basketball great Magic Johnson; Robert M. Wachter, M.D., of the University of California, San Francisco; social entrepreneur and author Craig Kielburger; Donald Berwick, M.D. former administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and Maureen Bisognano, IHI president and CEO. Visit www.ihi.org.

Feb. 7-10: Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, Phoenix

Presented by Health Forum and the American Hospital Association, the 29th annual event offers strategy sessions on topics ranging from strengthening value-based care to boosting board expertise and skills. Visit www.healthforum-edu.com/rural. 

Major Gift

LA Lakers co-owner donates $1.5 million to Cedars-Sinai

Jeanie Buss, president and part owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, donated $1.5 million to establish the Dr. Jerry H. Buss Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. The gift is a tribute to her father, an investor, philanthropist and owner of professional sports franchises. It also honors Allan W. Silberman, M.D., who treated both her parents for cancer. Her mother, JoAnn, is a cancer survivor and remains under Silberman’s care.

Project

$500 million construction project in St. Louis

SSM HEALTH has committed $500 million to build a new replacement hospital and outpatient care center within the next five years. The new facilities will be located in the immediate vicinity of the current hospital — now known as SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital. The announcement comes as SSM Health and Saint Louis University mark the official start of their expanded partnership, which includes Saint Louis University Hospital joining SSM Health St. Louis. In June, SLU announced it would reacquire the hospital from Tenet Healthcare Corp. and would contribute the facility to SSM Health in exchange for a minority financial interest and governance rights in SSM Health St. Louis. The deal became official Sept. 1. In addition to the planned construction projects, SSM Health will make some immediate capital investments in the current facility.