Brian Spraberry has been named president/CEO of Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, effective April 12. Spraberry, a Birmingham native who received his master's in health administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, currently serves as chief of business development for the University of Mississippi Medical Center, a position he has held since 2007.
Woodward Regional Hospital has named Charles Nasem interim CEO, effective immediately. Nasem, a senior healthcare executive with 30 years' hospital experience, is currently COO at WRH's sister hospital, Deaconess Hospital in Oklahoma City. Former CEO Lavah Lowe resigned to accept a position in Poplar Bluff, MO. A national search for a new administrator is ongoing.
Healthcare Solutions has appointed Thomas E. Oram as CFO. Oram joins the Atlanta-based company with more than 20 years of experience working in financial and treasury positions within both public and privately held companies.
Robert E. Hill, Jr., president/CEO of Acosta Sales and Marketing Company, has been named chair of the Baptist Health Board of Directors. Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., CEO of The First Tee and executive vice president of the World Golf Foundation, has been named vice chair of the board.
Democratic leaders tried to pull together enough support in the House this weekend for a decision on healthcare reform later this week, expressing optimism that a package will soon be signed into law by President Obama despite a lack of firm votes for passage, the Washington Post reports. Democratic leaders are struggling to assemble support amid opposition to the Senate legislation from conservative Democrats, who object to abortion-related language in the bill, and from liberals, who are disappointed about the lack of a public insurance option and other measures, the Post reports.
House Democrats laid the groundwork for a vote on a healthcare overhaul as early as Friday and President Barack Obama postponed an overseas trip to be on hand for what he hopes will be its passage, the Wall Street Journal reports. Democratic leaders have yet to secure the votes they need to pass the measure; rank-and-file Democrats continued to voice concerns about both the substance of the legislation and the process being used to advance it.