A new Erlanger Health System organizational chart has five people in key roles, including Interim CEO Charlesetta Woodard-Thompson.
A downsizing reduced the number of vice presidents from 15 to nine with Roger Forgey moving to Fort Oglethorpe as CEO at Erlanger Hutcheson.
Shown below her on the chart with expanded roles are Gregg Gentry, chief administrative officer; Dr. Cy Huffman, chief quality officer and chief medical officer; Lynn Whisman, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer, and Britt Tabor, chief financial officer.
The four remaining executive positions at Erlanger are:
Senior Vice-President of Strategic Planning – Joe Winick
Vice-President of Information Systems – Laurene Vamprine
Vice-President of Clinical Services – Blaine Morris
Vice-President of Payor/Government Relations – Steve Johnson
Doug Fisher is among those left out of the new setup.
A chief legal officer and chief compliance officer is shown reporting both to Ms. Woodard-Thompson and the board of trustees.
Mr. Gentry is over human resources, marketing and public relations, disaster management and security, communication, payer/government relations, facilities support, food and nutrition and pastoral care.
Dr. Huffman is over UTCOM affiliation, physician practices, process improvement, community health centers, physician engagement, medical staff services, clinical quality improvement and accreditation.
Ms. Whisman is over service excellence, Erlanger East, emergency services, clinical services, Erlanger North, BEH, TCTCH, surgical services, service lines and Bledsoe.
Mr. Tabor is over accounting, patient financial services, case management, business network development, materials management, admitting and registration, health information management and technology management/clinical engineering.
Erlanger has been shedding some of its vice presidents in seeking to return to profitability.
Ms. Woodard-Thompson sent this memo to employees:
Message from the President
In late December I announced a labor management plan that will help stabilize our operational and financial status. As I have repeatedly emphasized, our primary focus is to start the next fiscal year without a deficit. By achieving this, we can continue to fulfill operational goals like upgrading equipment and services, building a stronger partnership with our physicians – and improving the pay status of our hard-working employees.
A key component of our labor management plan was to initiate a re-organization that includes the three step process of reduction, stabilizing operations and revenue growth. This process required starting with a realignment of the executive team. I want to report that this process has been completed, and the results of that effort are being announced today. Roger Forgey has accepted the job as President and CEO of Erlanger at Hutcheson, and will be named to that position pending approval of the Hutcheson board later this month.
This is a win-win for our Fort Oglethorpe campus, and for Roger, who has many close ties with the North Georgia community and has embraced this opportunity to fulfill the mission of Erlanger at Hutcheson. Erlanger’s Chief Compliance Officer Alana Sullivan and Chief Legal Officer Dale Hetzler continue to report to Erlanger’s Board of Trustees, with an indirect reporting role to me.
When this restructuring process began, there were 15 additional executive positions. As a result of our reorganization, executive positions have been reduced from 15 to 9. Today, Erlanger’s organization will be structured around four primary divisions, led by the President and CEO, with Gregg Gentry serving as Chief Administrative Officer; Dr. Cy Huffman as Chief Quality Officer/Chief Medical Officer; Britt Tabor, Chief Financial Officer and Lynn Whisman as Chief Operating Officer/Chief Nursing Officer. Lynn will have responsibility for all five Erlanger campuses. This reorganization will help us achieve our short and long term goals. Our medical staff leadership and our trustees have been briefed on this leadership plan, and publicly expressed their confidence and support.
I am certain that many of you will have questions, even concerns, as we continue to move quickly through this transition process. My commitment and pledge is to continue to keep you informed – both in person and through frequent internal updates. Meanwhile, I encourage you to communicate with your managers, whom I am asking for ongoing feedback, as we implement and fine-tune our labor management plan. These are trying times and I know everyone is working hard. You have my assurance we will continue to take a thoughtful, careful approach to managing costs without impacting quality patient care. Through this, I hope we all remain – Erlanger Proud.
Charlesetta Woodard-Thompson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Erlanger Health System