Southwest General Hospital promoted from within and has named Sergio Farrell as its new CEO. Since 2007, Farrell has served as CFO at the 327-bed hospital. Before joining Southwest General, Farrell was senior vice president and chief financial officer at Grady Health System in Atlanta.
Jason Spring begins work on March 9 as the CEO of North Valley Hosptial. He was chosen after a national search by Quorum Health Resources, the hospital's management company. Craig Aasved resigned as CEO in July 2008 to take the same job at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. John Yanes of Lock Haven, PA., has served as interim administrator. Spring has been administrator of the 20-bed HealthPark Hospital in Hot Springs, AR, for the past five years.
Brad D. Holland has been named CEO the 171-bed San Angelo Community Medical Center. He takes the place of Samuel Feazell, who retired at the end of 2008. Holland will oversee the hospital, with 700 employees; Community Medical Associates with 75 employees and Community Health Club of San Angelo with 50 employees. Holland and his wife both grew up in San Angelo.
The hemorrhaging of American jobs accelerated at a record pace at the end of 2008, bringing the year's total job losses to 2.6 million. The U.S. Labor Department jobs report showed the economy lost 524,000 jobs in December and 1.9 million in the year's final four months, after the credit crisis began in September. Education and health services, however, grew payrolls by 45,000 employees in December.
The board of the Service Employees International Union has decided to merge 240,000 members from three California locals into one mega-local representing nursing home workers and home health aides. Some California healthcare workers have fought the merger. Oakland-based United Healthcare Workers leaders have called the move undemocratic, and had called for a boycott of a December advisory vote by SEIU that asked members whether they wanted to merge all healthcare workers or only long-term care workers into a single California local.
Doctors' moonlighting for drug companies is coming under increased scrutiny, both at University of Wisconsin and across the country. This month, the trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America enacted a voluntary ban on company gifts of branded pens, sticky notes and other items and dinners for doctors. Also of special concern are university physicians who are sought by drug companies because of the influence and respect they wield with colleagues practicing in communities.