Jeff D. Fee has been named the new president and CEO of Parkridge Medical Center.
Jeff D. Fee has been named the new president and CEO of Parkridge Medical Center.
Fee replaces Niels P. Vernegaard, who is leaving Parkridge to assume the CEO position at Research Medical Center, a three-campus HCA facility in Kansas City, Mo.
“The board is impressed with Jeff's experience and his record of advocating quality, innovation and patient safety,” said Karen Ford Eickhoff, chair of the board of governors at Parkridge Medical Center and faculty member of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. “He will bring fresh insights and leadership to the full array of services offered across Parkridge Medical Center and our campuses at Parkridge East and Parkridge Valley.”
Fee is currently CEO of Hendersonville Medical Center located in Sumner County, Tenn., also part of the TriStar Family of Hospitals. He has held a variety of leadership positions with HCA since 1992, including COO of Summit Medical Center and COO at Skyline Medical Center, both in Nashville.
“Being involved with the three campuses of Parkridge Medical Center is an exciting professional challenge,” Fee said. “I look forward to working with the board, medical staff and administrative staff to build on Parkridge's many strengths. Parkridge is a healthcare leader, providing the state’s top ranked orthopaedics program, The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center, and outstanding cardiac care through its nationally accredited chest pain center, one of the first in the state to achieve this standing. Parkridge East offers highly regarded obstetrics and neonatal intensive care and Parkridge Valley with its reputation as a leader in behavioral health is a unique and valuable asset for the entire region.”
Fee’s accomplishments at Hendersonville Medical Center include completing over $35 million in expansions, improvements and renovations, including a freestanding outpatient imaging center, expanded emergency services and state-of-the-art cardiac diagnostics.
Under his direction, the hospital was chosen as one of six medical facilities in the country to pilot the new GE Lightspeed Pro 16 CT scanner that offers physicians and patients highly detailed images of the human body, particularly the human heart. He also oversaw implementation of patient safety and care initiatives like Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) to virtually eliminate medication errors and a Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) for the distribution and storage of digital diagnostic images.
Fee, a CPA, holds a master’s degree in business administration from Belmont University and an undergraduate degree from Lipscomb University. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
“Over the next thirty days, I will be transitioning to this new role and arranging for my family and I to move to Chattanooga,” Fee said. “My wife, daughter and I look forward to becoming active members of this dynamic community.”
Parkridge Medical Center is part of the TriStar Family of Hospitals – a network of hospitals with over 2,500 licensed beds and over 3,000 physicians in 50 specialties within the state, including 700 in the Chattanooga area.