Published: November 17, 2008 04:28 pm      

VVRH hires interim CEO

Ada — Members of Valley View Regional Hospital board of directors voted unanimously to enter into a consulting agreement with Community Health Corporation (CHC) and appoint the organization’s pick, Gary Looper, as the hospital’s interim CEO. The board also voted during the special Friday afternoon meeting to implement several new software systems that will improve billing and collections.

“What you’re dealing with is not an uncommon issue relative to the basic operations of a hospital,” said CHC’s Mike Bowers to the board prior to their decision. “But also what you’ve dealt with over the last several months or so is also a reality of today’s health care. Many organizations across the country — in fact, as was publicly-announced yesterday, the University of Texas medical branch in Galveston had to do a reduction of 3,800 employees.”

CHC was first established in 1996. According to the group’s Web site, CHC was established “to preserve the not-for-profit status of community-based hospitals.”

“We were founded by members of VHA Southwest, which is comprised of hospitals in Texas and New Mexico,” said Bowers.

“Today we are a not-for-profit 501-C3. Under the IRS tax codes we’re a 509A, which means that we’re a support organization for not-for-profit community-based hospitals.

“As a 509A and a not-for-profit organization, we’re very unique,” Bowers said. “In fact, as far as we know we’re the only ones like it at our size and mission and scope and charge in the country. Our board is actually comprised of our membership. So (CHC President and CEO Michael) Williams reports to the people that we serve. That’s very, very important. That’s a check and balance for what we do as an organization.”