HMC CEO and President Jerry Wise was let go by the Hospital Authority after four-and-a-half years on the job
There’s been a shakeup in administration at Habersham Medical Center. Hospital CEO and President Jerry Wise was let go by the Hospital Authority board of directors. Wise had served in the job since April 2013.
“The financial performance has not been as good as we needed,” says authority vice-chair Jack Fulbright. Fulbright says the board is searching for a CEO experienced in hospital turnaround and affiliation negotiation.
The Habersham County Hospital Authority has been negotiating a possible acquisition by Northeast Georgia Health System since January. No deal has been struck.
HMC’s Chief Financial Officer Barbara Duncan has been named acting CEO. She’ll serve in the position until the Authority identifies an interim or permanent CEO.
The hospital issued a press release Thursday announcing the change.
Hospital Authority Chairman Kim Crawford thanked Wise for his service and contributions to the medical center in the past four-plus years. “During Jerry’s tenure, Habersham was recognized as the Georgia Coverdell Champion ‘Hospital of the Year’ for stroke care in the small hospital category and received multiple awards from Georgia Hospital Association related to patient safety.”
Duncan, who joined Habersham in January 2014, has more than 26 years’ experience in healthcare with the last 16 years at the senior management level. She has been instrumental in the turnaround and stabilization of two rural hospitals in Georgia.
Like many hospitals locally and nationally, Habersham has struggled to adapt to the tumultuous healthcare environment; the hospital sustained operating losses for the past several years, as utilization and reimbursements declined, the release states. “As a new permanent CEO is identified, the authority continues to explore partnership and affiliation options to sustain the facility as a full-service acute-care hospital to meet a growing service area population.”
Habersham is one of only two hospitals within a 55-mile radius that is not affiliated with or part of a health system.
“We are committed to working with hospital leadership and a future partner to ensure access to needed services locally, including primary and specialty care service and ready access to tertiary care services,” states Fulbright. Fulbright added that the authority’s top priority is to maintain and enhance the long-term financial viability of the hospital, while recruiting and retaining providers and experienced nursing staff, stemming the outmigration of patients, and preserving local employment opportunities.
Now Habersham reached out to Wise for comment.
