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 University of Chicago Medical Center has confirmed a massive restructuring that will trim $100 million in expenses, or nearly 7% of its annual budget, amid the economic downturn and unpaid bills owed the hospital from the state Medicaid program. Initially, the hospital is eliminating 15 senior executive jobs. The hospital has yet to determine the additional job cuts but said they would not affect medical care.
This story in a series from the Dallas Morning News says that hospital companies in Texas, many of which collect millions in state and federal funds, operate with minimal public disclosure of deficiencies. Texas keeps information on complaints and inspections largely private because influential healthcare corporations want it that way, and Texas legislators have obliged, according to the article. As a result, it is next to impossible for the public to determine whether state enforcement works properly, critics say.
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.