Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/772284
21 more than 73 million through its affiliated companies. Anthem is poised to grow even larger through a planned merger with Bloomfield, Conn.- based Cigna if the deal clears its federal antitrust challenge. Marilyn Tavenner, BSN. President and CEO of America's Health In- surance Plans (Washington, D.C.). Aer leaving her post as CMS ad- ministrator in February 2015, Ms. Tavenner took over as head of AHIP, the national trade association for health insurers, which includes more than 1,300 members companies. Anthony Tersigni, EdD. President and CEO of Ascension (St. Louis). Not only is Dr. Tersigni at the helm of Ascension — the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. and the world's largest Catholic health system — he also is president of the International Confederation of Catholic Health Care Institutions and is on the board of several healthcare, Cath- olic and local organizations. Kent iry. Chairman and CEO of DaVita (Denver, Colo.). DaVita is the parent company of DaVita Kidney Care — which, as of Sept. 30, 2016, operated or provided administrative services at 2,318 outpatient dialysis sites in the U.S. — and HealthCare Partners, a medical group that provides care to roughly 750,000 patients. Donald Trump. 45th President-elect of the United States (New York City). As president, Mr. Trump can reshape the healthcare industry by signing legislation to repeal the ACA, which Congress has promised to present, and by filling key appointments in key government agencies, like HHS, CMS and the U.S. Supreme Court. Bernard Tyson. Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.). As chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, Mr. Tyson oversees annual operating revenue of $60 billion at the nonprofit system serving more than 10.6 million members in eight states and Washington, D.C. Seema Verma. Nominee for Administrator of CMS (Baltimore, Md.). Ms. Verma, who President-elect Donald Trump nominated as CMS ad- ministrator, is president, CEO and founder of health policy consultancy SVC. She helped design the Healthy Indiana Plan, the state's consum- er-directed Medicaid program that has served as a model for other states. Eugene Woods. President and CEO of Carolinas HealthCare Sys- tem (Charlotte, N.C.). In addition to heading Carolinas, Mr. Woods is poised to become the chairman of the board of the American Hospital Association in 2017 aer serving as chairman-elect in 2016. n Texas and NY Hospitals Close ERs on Same Day By Ayla Ellison B aptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas, Orange Campus and St. Luke's Cornwall (N.Y.) Hospital will both discon- tinue emergency services on Jan. 12. In a release issued to The Examiner, Baptist said it is ceasing emergency services because the physician group staffing the emergency room terminated its agreement to provide services. Other factors, including reductions in reimburse- ment and the influx of freestanding emergency room com- petitors, also contributed to the decision to close the ER. The hospital will continue to offer outpatient laboratory and imaging services as well as an outpatient infusion clinic, pharmacy and sleep center. St. Luke's board members announced plans in July to close the hospital's emergency department due to a decline in utilization over the past seven years. The ED was original- ly slated to close Oct. 1. About a month before the closure date, hospital officials paused the application to shutter the ED until questions about access to care could be addressed with local leaders and elected officials. The Cornwall facility's emergency services will be consoli- dated with services at the hospital's campus in Newburgh, N.Y. Officials plan to expand nonemergency services at the Corn- wall facility, including strengthening primary care and oncol- ogy services and enhancing its rehabilitation program. n CHS Sells 2 Hospitals for $45M to Drive Down Debt By Ayla Ellison F ranklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems has signed a definitive agreement to sell Yakima (Wash.) Regional Medical Center & Cardiac Center and Top- penish (Wash.) Community Hospital to Sunnyside (Wash.) Community Hospital & Clinics for approximately $45 million. Yakima Regional and Toppenish Community Hospital are two of the 71 hospitals CHS acquired from Naples, Fla.- based Health Management Associates in 2014. The deal to sell the two hospitals is one of seven divestiture transactions CHS has in the works. During a third-quarter earnings call in November, CHS Chairman and CEO Wayne T. Smith said the company is working on selling 17 hospitals, as well as home care and nonhospital real estate, to further reduce its debt. Commenting on the agreement to sell the Washington hos- pitals, Mr. Smith said on Tuesday, "We are making progress with our strategic objective to divest a number of proper- ties to focus on a more sustainable portfolio of hospitals and networks for the future." The transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory ap- provals, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2017. CHS is divesting other Washington hospitals as well. In No- vember, CHS signed a definitive agreement to sell Spokane, Wash.-based Rockwood Health System to Tacoma, Wash.- based MultiCare for $425 million. That transaction is expect- ed to close in the first quarter of next year. n