Greenville Health System board approves restructuring plan

Greenville (S.C.) Health System's Board of Trustees voted 12-2 to approve a plan to join a larger, multiregional health system.

The move would protect GHS as a public entity, but the system would lease its facilities to an unnamed Greenville-based Upstate affiliate, which would oversee day-to-day operations and management of clinical care. The entity leasing GHS' facilities would be the first affiliate of a new multiregional system, which would be centrally coordinated through a nonprofit organization. This entity would also serve as Upstate South Carolina's safety-net healthcare provider.

Three former GHS board members filed a lawsuit regarding the legality of the transaction, and the South Carolina Supreme Court is deciding whether to take the case. GHS has said it will not move forward with the structure as the case is pending, according to a statement.

GHS Board Chairman Jim Morton said the board carefully evaluated healthcare trends in light of the system's governance structure, fiduciary obligations and community responsibilities, and collected feedback from a number of community groups and GHS employees. Mr. Morton said in a statement the overwhelming majority of employees supported the new structure.

"One of our cornerstone principles is that the new multiregional system remains accountable to the communities we serve and operates in an open, transparent way," Mr. Morton said in a statement. To this end, the plan requires publically available reports on the new system's programs, from audited financials to community needs assessment reports.

"The new structure will help us ensure that healthcare in the Upstate remains local, accessible and high quality in the years to come," GHS President and CEO Mike Riordan said in a statement. "At the end of the day, our vision has always been — and will always be — to improve the health of our communities. We do this not only through direct patient care but also through community outreach and our training of the next generation of physicians, nurses and allied health professionals."

Mr. Riordan also noted the change is one meant to align leadership and strategy and that the day-to-day work of employees will not change.

 

More articles on leadership and management:

5th GOP debate addresses healthcare for 30 seconds
Donald Trump could be 'healthiest individual ever elected,' physician says
Fire away: 10 industry leaders' uncensored reactions to top healthcare subjects

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars