Becker's Hospital Review

30 30 CEO / STRATEGY Arkansas hospital CEO resigns after 2 no-confidence votes By Kelly Gooch S cott Street resigned as CEO of El Dorado-based Medical Center of South Arkansas, according to a hospital statement shared with Becker's Aug. 24. Mr. Street, who served as the hospital's CEO since 2017, will move to a new role in Northwest Arkansas when an interim hospital leader is selected. "It has been my honor to serve alongside MCSA's staff and physicians and to support them in their work to provide compassionate care to each patient, especially during the challenges of a global pandemic," Mr. Street said in the statement. "I am confident the MCSA team will build our suc- cesses and take the hospital to new heights in the future." Mr. Street's resignation comes aer the hospital's general medical staff took two no-confidence votes in the Medical Center of South Arkansas leadership. Some healthcare workers have also reported staffing issues, pay disparities and concerns about practices and policies they say have af- fected care quality and staff morale, the El Dorado News-Times reported. Medical Center of South Arkansas wrote that the hospital during Mr. Street's tenure has implemented a multimillion dollar investment plan to renovate the facility and expand clinical services. e hospital said it also has enhanced care and boosted the number of specialists providing advanced care for residents close to home. "We extend our sincere thanks to Scott for his leadership and many contributions to our hospital and our community, and we wish him well in his new role," Rob Robinson, chair of the hospital's board of trustees, said in the statement. Medical Center of South Arkansas, which is owned by Franklin, Tenn.- based Community Health Systems, said in late August it will begin a search for a new CEO. n New York hospital gets 1st physician president in 93 years By Lauren Jensik M ount Sinai South Nassau named Adhi Sharma, MD, its president, effective Sept. 1. He is the first physician to lead the Oceanside, N.Y.-based hospital in its 93-year history. Dr. Sharma, who previously served as the hospital's CMO and executive vice president for clinical and professional affairs, succeeds Richard Murphy, who is retiring at the end of the year. "It is with great humility and appreciation for the dedicated clinical and support staff at the hospital, that I have accepted the role as president for Mount Sinai South Nassau," Dr. Sharma said in a news release shared with Becker's Aug. 17. "The hospital is one of the leading facilities on Long Island, and its relationship with the Mount Sinai Health System has only enhanced its standing within the communities it serves. Together with the Board and the clinical leadership, I look forward to setting a vision for the hospital that will carry it well into the twenty-first century." n Seattle Children's 21-page anti-racism plan: 5 things to know By Morgan Haefner A n independent review of Seattle Children's found the organization hasn't properly addressed systemic racism. On Sept. 1, the hospital released its action plan to "become the anti-racist organization you expect us to be," said Susan Betcher, hospital board chair, and CEO Jeff Sperring, MD. Five things to know: 1. The 21-page action plan is in response to 11 findings and recommendations made by law firm Covington & Burling, which led the independent investigation into claims of systemic racism at Seattle Children's. The investigation found that racial dis- parities persist in Seattle Children's leadership, promotions and voluntary termination practices, among other policies. 2. Seattle Children's action plan promises to hire and sustain a diverse workforce, include patients and the community in equity discussions and make itself "a learning laboratory for health equity initiatives," such as advising U.S. News & World Report's equity work group. 3. "As Seattle Children's makes measurable progress toward becoming the organization we aspire to be, we will work tire- lessly to rebuild trust with our workforce, patients and families, and the community," Ms. Betcher and Dr. Sperring said. 4. The action plan comes after Seattle Children's employees and the Washington Black Lives Matter Alliance called for Ms. Betcher and Dr. Sperring to resign over the investigation's findings. 5. The investigation was prompted by Ben Danielson, MD, who cited institutional racism as his reason for resigning as the medical director of one of the hospital's clinics last year. n

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