Jeffrey Liebman will retire Nov. 1 as CEO of CharterCARE Health of Rhode Island, nearly eight months after the nonprofit system was formed. Richard Charest will succeed Mr. Liebman as CEO, according to an Oct. 14 news release shared with Becker’s.
In March, the Centurion Foundation, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization, completed its acquisition of Providence, R.I.-based Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital from bankrupt Prospect Medical Holdings. The acquisition established CharterCARE Health of Rhode Island, a nonprofit health system.
Centurion began the lengthy process to acquire Prospect’s CharterCARE Health Partners system in 2022, which included Roger Williams and Our Lady of Fatima and several affiliated services.
Mr. Liebman has led CharterCARE Health Partners since 2018, including through Prospect Medical’s bankruptcy and sale of the system.
With 26 years of executive healthcare experience, Mr. Charest has led nonprofit and for-profit community hospitals, including government hospitals. He has served as secretary of health and human services for Rhode Island since 2023.
Ben Mingle, CHRI board chair, said in the release that the board felt Mr. Charest’s experience and skill set will help the system execute its turnaround plan.
“While we are facing short-term cash flow pressures from post-sale expenses and lower than anticipated volume over the summer, we are seeing more positive progress on a number of initiatives,” Mr. Mingle said. “Volume has since been trending up, we have recruited several new physicians and specialists, implemented new programs and services, invested in equipment and our physical plants, all contributing to improved financial performance.”
Mr. Mingle said the system also hopes to reach an agreement with the United Nurses and Allied Professionals in the coming days.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said in an Oct. 15 statement shared with Becker’s that his office is committed to keeping the hospitals open and available to Rhode Islanders and the employees of the facilities.
“We hope the Board has undertaken a diligent and thorough vetting process in selecting their next leader,” the statement said. “We do note that given [Mr. Charest’s] current position at [Executive Office of Health and Human Services] there may be some ethical considerations that would be most appropriate for the ethics commission to address.”
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