Becker's Hospital Review

18 POPULATION HEALTH 18 CEO/STRATEGY Iowa Hospital Association VP fired after criticizing governor on Facebook By Anuja Vaidya T homas McIntyre was fired as vice president of communications of the Iowa Hospital Association aer mak- ing a Facebook post critical of Gov. Kim Reynolds' handling of Medicaid in the state, the Des Moines Register reported. e Register obtained documents related to Mr. McIntyre's state unemployment appeal hearing Sept. 30. In March, Mr. McIntyre responded to a co- worker's post on Facebook, expressing criti- cism of Gov. Reynolds' handling of Medicaid privatization in Iowa. He responded using his personal account on the coworker's personal Facebook page. Neither account was acces- sible to the public. e post was deleted and Mr. McIntyre issued an apology, but he and his coworker were fired a few days later, Mr. McIntyre said. At the unemployment hearing, Mr. McIntyre said that his post was meant to be satirical. "I was trying to kind of be funny with it. I was trying to, like, do it satirically, like, kind of in a Donald Trump language. Kind of an over-the- top, hyperbole thing," he said at the hearing. Mr. McIntyre said that the association's CEO, James Norris, indicated that the decision to fire him stemmed from "small but powerful group," who were angered by the post. In 2015, the decision was made to privatize the state's Medicaid services by Gov. Reynolds' predecessor. Gov. Reynolds favored the move, saying it would lead to more efficient care. But critics have said that privatization has led to big cuts in services for people with disabilities and has not yielded reimbursement gains for healthcare providers in the state. Mr. McIntyre previously voiced criticism of some of the aspects of Medicaid privatiza- tion, including the cuts to reimbursement for providers. He won the unemployment appeal. Iowa Ad- ministrative Law Judge Beth Scheetz ruled Oct. 1 that the association did not prove that Mr. McIntyre intended to harm the group with his Facebook post, and she granted him benefits. n Dignity Health issues layoffs at 3 California hospitals By Ayla Ellison S an Francisco-based Dignity Health will lay off roughly 1 percent of the staff at three California hospitals, according to TV station KRCR, which cited an email sent to Dignity employees. The layoffs will occur at Mercy Medical Center Red- ding, Mercy Medical Center in Mount Shasta and St. Elizabeth Community Hospital in Red Bluff. Dignity will try to find other opportunities in the sys- tem for those affected by the layoffs, a spokesperson told KRCR. "Our top priority is providing the best care for our patients, and any staffing adjustments will not impact patient care," the spokesperson wrote in a statement to KRCR. "As we strive to meet the changing demands for care in the communities we serve, we continuous- ly assess our resources and how best to utilize them effectively and efficiently. When staffing adjustments are necessary, we work closely with affected employ- ees to identify other opportunities in our system for which they may be qualified. We recognize that re- ducing even a single position affects many inside and outside of our organization, and this is not a decision we take lightly." n Erlanger cuts management positions By Kelly Gooch E rlanger Health System in Chattanooga, Tenn., has elimi- nated or restructured 30 management positions as part of a management reorganization, the health system con- firmed to Becker's Hospital Review. Pat Charles, a spokesperson for Erlanger, said "30 manage- ment positions had been eliminated or restructured at Erlanger on Oct. 21." "We are not reporting on specific numbers eliminated versus restructured. Those affected by Erlanger's management reor- ganization have been notified," she added. The changes come after Erlanger board members reached an agreement with Kevin Spiegel, the health system's former CEO, and named William Jackson, MD, his successor in September. The board directed Dr. Jackson to address physician relations, reorganize Erlanger's management structure and reorganize the governance structure of the health system's medical group, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The newspaper noted that Erlanger employed about 280 managers prior to the reorganization. "We have re-examined the management structure of our orga- nization in detail, and we are confident [the changes] …will en- able us to act more decisively and efficiently for the benefit of our patients and community," Dr. Jackson told the Free Press. n

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