Anthony Tedeschi, MD, will retire at the end of the year, then Audrey Gregory, PhD, RN, will succeed him.
Audrey Gregory, PhD, RN, will take over on New Year's Day as CEO of Tenet Healthcare's Detroit Medical Center, following the retirement of current CEO Anthony Tedeschi, MD, the organization announced Thursday.
Gregory, who has worked 15 years for Tenet in a variety of leadership roles, joined the DMC team just two months ago, in October, when she was named president of DMC and CEO of its adult central campus.
Before moving to Detroit, Gregory had worked for Tenet in Memphis as a market CEO and hospital CEO in the Saint Francis Healthcare System. (In a separate announcement, Tenet said Friday that it plans to divest its Memphis operations, including two hospitals, the physician practices associated with them, and six MedPost urgent care centers, to Memphis-based nonprofit Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.)
Tenet President and Chief Operating Officer Saum Sutaria, MD, said the Detroit community will benefit from Gregory's experience in clinical leadership, nursing, and hospital administration.
"Her knowledge makes her the perfect choice to lead the DMC and build upon the legacy created by Dr. Tedeschi and the DMC leadership team," Sutaria said in a statement.
Sutaria also praised Tedeschi as a "thoughtful leader" with a passion for the Detroit community.
"He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our patients and their families and has been instrumental in creating a culture of compassion, safety and quality that our staff and patients expect and deserve," Sutaria said. "He will be missed, and we wish him all the best in his retirement."
Tedeschi's retirement comes two years after his rise to DMC's top executive post. He had served previously in Tenet's former Chicago market. Tedeschi said working in Detroit has been a pleasure.
"At the heart of the DMC are the staff and physicians who work hard every day to make a difference in the lives of the patients we have the privilege to serve," he said. "I have enjoyed making Detroit my home and working with our staff physicians and community members over the last several years. I am excited for DMC's future under Audrey's leadership."
Steven Porter is an associate content manager and Strategy editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.
Photo credit: Detroit Medical Center, in 2014. (alisafarov / Shutterstock.com)
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Gregory has been president of the DMC and CEO of the adult central campus.
Tedeschi will continue to be part of the DMC team through March, as an advisor.