Becker's Hospital Review

37 37 CEO/STRATEGY New York hospital reportedly pays CEO $660k to 'disappear' By Alyssa Rege T he former CEO of Syracuse-based SUNY Upstate Medical University reportedly entered into an agree- ment with the hospital to resign and continue earning his chief executive $660,500 annual salary for one year, ac- cording to syracuse.com. According to the confidential agreement, obtained by syra- cuse.com, former hospital CEO John McCabe, MD, agreed to serve as a consultant for the hospital under the title "senior assistant to the president." In the role, Dr. McCabe was re- quired to provide "a broad range of administrative services to the SUNY Upstate president as assigned from time to time," and was required to stay off campus apart from the institu- tion's library, according to the report. "It was SUNY's idea there would be an agreement and there would be terms that would have [Dr. McCabe] resigning from the institution," one of Dr. McCabe's attorneys told syr- acuse.com. Dr. McCabe's role as a consultant with SUNY ended March 14, the report states. During an interview with syracuse.com, Dr. McCabe reportedly refused to discuss the terms of the deal, citing the agreement's proviso he remain silent about the contract. He told the publication he had wanted to step down as CEO of the hospital in late 2016 and return to teaching at the medical school. He said he decided to resign aer Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD, took over as president of the institution in 2016 so she could create her own management team, the report states. "ere was never a time anyone asked me to step down," Dr. McCabe said. "It was clear to me [Dr. Laraque-Arena] want- ed to, and it would be helpful for her, to have a team in place that was of her own choosing to allow her to be successful." Dr. McCabe sent his resignation letter to Dr. Laraque-Arena in November 2016. However, aer acknowledging his resig- nation, "all communication with the president shut down," he said, adding he was instead referred to a SUNY lawyer. He signed a nondisclosure agreement in December 2016. Dr. McCabe told the publication he interpreted his first phone conversation with SUNY lawyers as an indication ad- ministrators wanted him "to disappear." In a statement to syracuse.com, SUNY Upstate Medical Uni- versity said Dr. McCabe played a valuable role during the leadership transition. "As senior assistant to the president, Dr. McCabe provided services to assist with this transition. e terms of the agree- ment with Dr. McCabe are standard provisions under the law," the statement said. n San Francisco nurses demonstrate at hospital renamed after Mark Zuckerberg By Kelly Gooch A group of nurses seeks to have the Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center renamed in the wake of recent privacy scandals surrounding Facebook, according to The New York Times. The San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center was re- named the Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center in 2015 after Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, MD, gave $75 million to the facility. Some nurses now want to have the Zuckerberg name removed, saying it has sparked concern among patients, especially with the recent Facebook controversies, according to the report. They held a demonstration May 12 as part of the name remov- al effort. Heather Ali, who works at the hospital in nursing administration, told The Times: "We are in charge of keeping our most vulner- able people private and protected. Now people wonder, 'How much is my privacy protected at a hospital with that name on it?'" In response to the nurses' efforts, a hospital spokesperson told Becker's Hospital Review via statement, "Without excep- tion, our most important commitment is to our patients, to ensuring their well-being and to protecting their privacy. We are fully aware of and committed to supporting Health Insur- ance Portability and Accountability Act rules, which guarantee patient privacy. In no way has the hospital compromised that commitment." n Kindred, Massachusetts General Hospital to lay off 152 workers By Ayla Ellison L ouisville, Ky.-based Kindred Healthcare and Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital will lay off 152 workers lat- er in 2018 with the closure of Clark House Nursing Center at Fox Hill Village in Westwood, Mass., which the two organiza- tions jointly own, according to the Boston Business Journal. Kindred, which manages the nursing home, said the organiza- tions decided to close the facility after failing to secure a buyer. The nursing home is on the campus of Fox Hill Village, an all-in- clusive living community for retirees that offers on-site healthcare services provided by Massachusetts General Hospital. Kindred will coordinate with the state to finalize the closure plan. The nursing home will shut down by Sept. 13, according to the Boston Business Journal. n

• Cover