from staff
St. Vincent’s HealthCare has promoted five of its senior leaders to new positions as the company continues to reorganize in preparation for the takeover of operations of St. Luke’s Hospital on April 12.
Karen Darnell, former vice president and chief nursing officer, is now the health system’s chief nursing officer. Michele Hilliard, former director of physician relations and recruitment, is now vice president for physician and business development.
Bill Mayher, former corporate responsibility officer, is now vice president for corporate compliance. David Meyer, director of business development, is now vice president for strategic planning.
In addition, Ascension Health promoted Ann Carey, director of information systems at St. Vincent’s, to chief information officer and vice president within St. Vincent’s HealthCare. By agreement, Ascension Health provides information services to St. Vincent’s HealthCare.
In later news, St. Vincent’s leadership appointed Lynnette Chakkaphak as director of clinical laboratory services for St. Vincent’s and St. Luke’s. Chakkaphak is currently program director for the School of Medical Technology and manager for anatomic pathology and cytology.
“We’re becoming a true hospital system,” said Scott Whalen, CEO of St. Vincent’s HealthCare. “These changes to our senior management structure will help us more efficiently run our growing organization and promote key individuals who are performing the important work we place significant emphasis on.”
As the health system’s Chief Nursing Officer, Darnell will be responsible for all nurses and nursing practices across the organization.
“Nursing is a difficult, but exhilarating profession,” she said. “People enter it for the noblest of reasons. We’re not making widgets. We are saving peoples lives, or bringing new ones into the world or ushering ones out when it’s their time. What we do makes a difference, that’s why I became a nurse.”
As VP of physician and business development, Hilliard will be responsible for continued physician recruitment to the health system and acting as a liaison between physicians and health system administration. In addition, she will take the lead in developing new business strategies.
“With more of our strategic plans dependent on physician relationships, it’s important to have someone at the senior management level who has that as a focus,” said Whalen. “Michele has the skills needed to act as the voice for both sides in order to reach agreement on how to practice.”
Said Hilliard, “In 2000, the hospital wanted to become more proactive with physician recruiting and meeting the needs from a hospital perspective. I was asked to start the recruitment program.”
As VP for corporate compliance, Mayher will continue to be responsible for the organization’s corporate responsibility program, which entails promoting ethical and honest business practices, detecting and preventing ethical violations and making sure the organization is in compliance with government regulations and laws for programs including Medicare, Medicaid and the privacy rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Elevating the role to a vice president acknowledges the importance of this function within the growing health system, said Whalen.
“This was an appropriate next step for our compliance program,” he said. “And it certainly shows St. Vincent’s commitment to compliance and doing things the right way.”
As VP of strategic planning, Meyer will be responsible for planning for market growth and development of new programs, new clinical equipment and technologies to foster the achievement of St. Vincent’s mission and vision.
“As we expand our mission of spiritually centered, holistic care to improve the health of individuals and communities, we must anticipate and carefully evaluate new opportunities,” said Whalen. “Decisions we make today will have impact on what we do and how we do it for decades. Hence, planning is critical in order for us to fulfill our mission well into the future.”
Meyer said the strategy is an aggressive one.
“Where do we place primary care practices? Where do we have specialists? Do we look at additional facilities?” said Meyer. “If so, what services go into them? There’s an array of tasks that go into answering those questions.”
As chief information officer, Carey will provide vision, strategy, and leadership for planning and implementing information technology initiatives that support St. Vincent’s objectives, goals and mission. She will be responsible for the management of all information and communications systems and projects, including voice, data and imaging.
“This is a well-deserved recognition of Ann’s work for our health system,” said Whalen. “We appreciate all the work she has done preparing to take a hospital live with information systems when we assume operations of St. Luke’s Hospital on April 12.”