Brownsville Hospital makes management changes
REDSTONE TWP. – Management changes are being made at Brownsville General Hospital in light of continuing financial losses. William Jackson, the chairman of the hospital’s board of directors, said the decision to remove Sara Poling as the chief executive officer came at a meeting Monday night. Poling had been with the hospital for the past 16 months, though her family still maintained at home in Ohio.
“We weren’t doing very well financially and the employees weren’t very happy. We felt we needed to make a change,” Jackson said.
In fact, the board felt several changes needed to be made. The directors also notified Quorum Health Resources, the management firm that originally hired Poling, that its services will also no longer be needed.
“We’ve notified them that we’re terminating our agreement with them,” Jackson said. “We just plain couldn’t afford them anymore.”
The hospital will continue to pay for the management services from Quorum for the next three months under the terms of the contract, Jackson said.
Jackson said Karen DeiCas, who has served as the hospital’s director of marketing and public relations, will serve as the interim CEO.
“I have great hopes that through the cooperation of the medical staff, the board of directors, the employees and the community that we will restore the financial viability of the hospital and continue to offer existing and additional services,” DeiCas said.
Jackson said talks are under way with Monongahela Valley Hospital and other hospitals in the region regarding the possibility of a partnership or other arrangement that would be beneficial to all parties involved.
“We hope to talk to most of our neighbors,” Jackson said. “Hopefully, we can remain a community hospital providing pretty much full-service.”
Over the past several years the hospital has been focusing on geriatric services and boasts one of the only geriatric psychiatric units in the region. Horizon Mental Health manages that unit.
“It’s done very well. We’ve talked about adding more beds, but we haven’t gotten around to it,” Jackson said.
This past year the hospital also opened a rehabilitation unit under the management of RehabCare. That unit is also doing well, Jackson said.
Jackson said the board of directors will meet next Tuesday to further discuss the situation.