NorthShore University HealthSystem announced in September that longtime President and CEO Mark Neaman will transition to the role of executive chairman of the board of directors and Gerald “J.P.” Gallagher, chief operating officer, will become president and CEO. These changes will become effective with the corporation’s annual meeting Nov. 9. Neaman, who was appointed president and CEO in 1992, led NorthShore through 26 consecutive years of growth. He will lead the transition of the board and management staff through 2018. Today, NorthShore comprises four hospitals, more than 100 medical group offices, 2,000 physicians and $2.1 billion in annual revenue. Neaman’s tenure included the establishment of the NorthShore Research Institute and nationally ranked clinical expertise in oncology, cardiovascular, neurosciences and orthopedics, among others. Under his leadership, NorthShore implemented a series of successful affiliations, including in academics with the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and in specialty care with the Mayo Clinic–Mayo Clinic Care Network. Gallagher, NorthShore COO for the past five years, has held several leadership positions since joining the system in 2002. Previously, he served as an executive at Glenbrook Hospital before becoming COO of the system.

Appointments

  • Martin Portillo, M.D., has been appointed to serve as president and CMO at Cone Health Medical Group, Greensboro, N.C. Portillo comes from Bon Secours Health System where he was corporate clinical director for population health management. Previously, he served as vice president of medical affairs and CMO at Molina Health in Columbus, Ohio.
  • David Argueta is set to become COO of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. Previously, Argueta was COO of CHI St. Luke’s Health The Woodlands Hospital, Houston. He also served as president of three Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives hospitals in Texas.
  • Chesapeake (Va.) Regional Healthcare last month appointed Amber Egyud, R.N., as its COO and CNO and Raymond McCue, M.D., as CMO. Previously, Egyud was vice president of patient care services and CNO at Allegheny Health Network’s Forbes Hospital in Monroe-ville, Pa. McCue most recently served as regional CMO for Bon Secours Hampton Roads (Va.) health system and system medical director for patient safety and reliability at Bon Secours Health System, Marriottsville, Md.
  • Trinity Health of New England, Hartford, Conn., this month named Mark Fulco president of Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., and its affiliates. Fulco replaced Mary Elizabeth O’Brien, R.N., who had been serving as interim president since April. Previously, Fulco was system vice president for health ministries and system office communication interface at Trinity Health, Livonia, Mich. In 2015, he also served as chief transformation officer at Mercy, where he led the establishment of the Mercy Care Alliance clinically integrated network.
  • Henry Ford Allegiance Health, Jackson, Mich., has selected Mark Smith, M.D., as its senior vice president of medical affairs and CMO. Smith also will serve as CEO of Henry Ford Allegiance Medical Group. Previously, Smith was chief of staff and chairman/medical director of the emergency department at Henry Ford Allegiance Health.

Retirements

  • Providence, R.I.-based Care New England Health System President and CEO Dennis Keefe will retire at the end of the year. James Fanale, M.D., will become interim president and CEO of the system effective Jan. 1. Currently, Fanale serves as executive vice president, chief clinical officer and COO of the system.
  • Michael Henze, CEO of Lake Regional Health System, Osage Beach, Mo., retired after 27 years in the position. During his tenure, Henze led Lake Regional’s growth from a small community hospital to a health system that includes a hospital, primary care clinics, specialty care clinics, pharmacies and surgery centers. Dale Henry succeeded Henze as CEO on Sept. 18.

Acquisition

  • Tenet Healthcare Corp. and Paladin Healthcare entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of Tenet’s Hahnemann University Hospital, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and other related operations in Philadelphia, including Tenet-owned physician practices, to American Academic Health System LLC, a newly formed affiliate of Paladin Healthcare. AAHS is a new company formed by Paladin to own and operate academic medical centers and general acute care hospitals across the country. Tenet expects to receive proceeds of approximately $170 million from the transaction, comprising $152.5 million in cash at closing and a promissory note in the amount of $17.5 million. The transaction is expected to be completed early next year, subject to regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

Project

  • Dignity Health–St. Rose Dominican will build four new neighborhood hospitals in the greater Las Vegas area within the next year. The first of the four locations is the North Las Vegas Campus. It will be followed by three sites in Las Vegas: Blue Diamond Campus, West Flamingo Campus and Sahara Campus, with all sites in operation by this winter. Two additional locations are also under consideration. As part of the expansion, St. Rose Dominican has entered into an agreement with Emerus, a developer of microhospitals, to build and manage these sites and to lay the groundwork for additional facilities in the region. The neighborhood hospitals are designed to increase access to emergency care in underserved areas.