10 Willis-Knighton Health System physicians call for CEO's resignation

The 13-member medical executive committee of Shreveport, La.-based Willis-Knighton Health System sent a letter to the health system's board of trustees Monday calling for the resignation of health system president and CEO Jim Elrod, according to KTBS-3 News.

The letter, signed by 10 members of the committee and approved by three members via a conference call, said Mr. Elrod's inflexibility to adapt to the changing healthcare environment makes him a liability to the health system.

"Recent decisions made by the CEO display a distinct lack of understanding of these realities. Failure to fully embrace the transition to a new information system, inflexibility in responding to the rise in Medicaid, failure to appreciate the importance of actively managing the care of hospitalized patients are simple examples of this deficit in understanding," the physicians wrote in their letter.

Rather than fire Mr. Elrod, members wrote they prefer Mr. Elrod voluntarily step down with the "dignity and respect due him for his great service … Should he prove incapable of graciously stepping aside, you, as the board, must initiate a transition to new leadership," according to the report.

A spokesperson for a consultancy agency hired by the health system told KTBS-3 News Willis-Knight's board of trustees are "aware and evaluating the situation."

The health system revealed its intent late last month to lay off 55 employees immediately and cut an additional 177 positions through attrition and retirements. Officials said last week the decision to cut 232 jobs "was unavoidable because of the rapid expansion by the state of Medicaid coverage without adequate state funding to support that expansion," the report states.

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