Mississippi
Merit Health Central CEO, like many of its services, exits for the suburbs
Advantage Well being Central’s chief government officer David Henry is leaving the south Jackson hospital to take the helm at Advantage Well being Madison following the discount and relocation of most of the hospital’s providers to the corporate’s suburban amenities like Advantage Well being River Oaks.
He started within the new position Monday.
When reached by cellphone final week, Henry directed all inquiries to the corporate’s advertising and marketing division.
Barry Moss, the vice chairman of operations for Advantage Well being, will function the interim CEO for the Jackson hospital till a everlasting chief is recognized, in keeping with Alicia Carpenter, director of promoting for Advantage Well being.
“A search will start instantly for that particular person, and hospital leaders, members of the board of trustees in addition to medical employees members will likely be concerned within the search,” stated Carpenter in an electronic mail to Mississippi At the moment.
On the similar time, the hospital, which drastically decreased providers and closed its burn heart final yr, has decreased the hours its MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is offered to sufferers. Sufferers will be unable to get MRIs on the weekend or after 4 p.m. and earlier than 7 a.m. through the week.
“MRI imaging at Advantage Well being Central is for diagnostic or elective providers. For emergent analysis of a head or mind harm, now we have CT obtainable 24/7,” stated Carpenter. “For non-emergent conditions after 4 p.m., we schedule the affected person’s MRI for the following obtainable day.”
Nashville-based Group Well being Companions owns Advantage Well being Central and eight different personal hospitals within the state. The corporate has a lease settlement with Hinds County stating that Central should function as a “full service common acute care hospital.” Additionally it is obligated to offer medical providers for Hinds County Detention Heart inmates.
County officers have been involved concerning the hospital assembly its lease agreements, however Tony Gaylor, the legal professional for the Hinds County Board of Supervisors, stated he and different county officers met with Advantage Well being staff about three months in the past.
He stated they’re nonetheless seeing “a considerable variety of residents at their facility.”
“We’re definitely involved about any discount of providers on the hospital. However we’re additionally conscious of the truth that state regulation permits them to do some stage of diversion of sufferers to different amenities at occasions,” stated Gaylor.
“We’ll be speaking extra with our state officers about what they will do to help us in ensuring that hospital stays viable for that space of Hinds County,” he stated.
Advantage Well being Central incurred simply shy of $16 million in web uninsured prices, or the price of providers for which the affected person had no insurance coverage protection, in fiscal yr 2022. That’s the largest quantity of uncompensated care of any Advantage Well being hospital within the state that yr.
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