Displaying items by tag: Dr Thomas Malone

Less than 30 days after opening a hornet's nest by firing Emergency Room doctors, the head of Summa Health System is leaving. Dr. Thomas Malone submitted his resignation to the board, saying he didn't want to be a "distraction" in the wake of a no-confidence vote by Summa's doctors and widespread criticism of the hospitals actions. Dr. Jeff Wright, who's with the emergency room doctor group whose contract was abruptly terminated over the holidays talked to us on the Ray Horner Show this morning.

A press release Sunday from Summa Health officials states that from now on, no doctor contracts will be terminated without full approval of the entire Summa Health System Board.

The announce comes as the hospital system continues to deal with the abrupt firing of the doctor group that manned the hospitals emergency rooms, prompting a group of roughly 100 doctors voting "no confidence" in Summa management and calling for Dr. Thomas Malone, Summa CEO, to resign. 

The Summa Board, which says they're "troubled" by recent events, is also hiring an "executive coach" to help create a new corporate culture, which, as stated in the release, "values employee and physician engagement."

Additionally, Summa Health is creating a new medical staff panel composed of doctors, to advise them on medical staff issues.

Read the full press release from Summa Health Systems below: 

Summa Health is grounded in the concept of servant leadership, of serving the patient or serving those
who do. The Board of Directors believes that this idea is the backbone of our mission, vision and values,
guiding our organization toward long-term success.

After facing difficult headwinds recently, we think it’s important to remember that our entire Summa
Health team has served one another and accomplished a great deal over the last few years. Together we
have launched a $350 million facilities plan that will form the cornerstone of our vision to drastically
improve the overall health of our community and give us a platform to continue to be a leader on
population health. Our finances are sound, our accountable care organization is a state leader, and the
performance of SummaCare is on the rise.

As pleased as we are by these accomplishments, recent events and the divisions that they have revealed
are very troubling to us. To address the concerns of our physicians and staff, and to build a culture that
aligns our values with our vision, we are: ? Hiring an executive coach who will report directly to the Board and provide guidance on the
establishment of a new culture, one that values employee and physician engagement. The work
of this coach will extend to all members of the Summa Health executive leadership team. ? Creating a medical staff panel of 3-7 physicians (both independent and employed) that will
report directly to the Board and advise on medical staff issues. The Board will work with medical
leadership to gather nominations for physicians to serve on this panel. ? Committing to filling the two physician vacancies on our Board by February 28, 2017. ? Revising our contract renewal process in accordance with best in class standards in order to
avoid a repeat of the recent emergency department transition. ? Providing direct Board oversight for all physician contracts for the remainder of 2017. No
physician contract will be terminated without the full approval of the Board.

All of these steps are intended to provide the foundation for the Summa Health leadership team to build
a culture of engagement and open communication. Our Board will be monitoring this situation closely.
As caretakers of Summa Health, it is our responsibility to provide the tools for management to develop a
way forward that ensures we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. It is also our responsibility to
ensure that our community is served by a high-quality healthcare organization that not only improves
the health and wellness of our region, but also remains a pillar of strength that helps drive Akron
forward. We take each of these responsibilities seriously and are committed to ensuring the execution
of our vision for Summa Health. We remain fortunate to be joined on our journey by the tireless and dedicated Summa Health team, the
physicians, employees, volunteers, donors and leaders who work daily to deliver quality, compassionate
care and strengthen our organization so, that as a vital community partner, we can continue to thrive.

Sincerely,

Summa Health Board of Directors 

As soon as the calendar turned to 2017, controversy has surrounded the offices of Akron’s Summa Health System. From firings to walkouts to calls for resignation, plenty of questions are on the table.

Dr. Thomas Malone, President and CEO of Summa, faced those tough questions Wednesday on the Ray Horner Morning Show. Dr. Malone addressed the calls for his dismissal, which came a day after he sent an apology memo to his staff.

As for the contract dispute, Dr. Malone initially believed the matter would be resolved and contracts would have been extended, but he believes he needed to protect the hospital.

In other controversial news, though not as grandiose, Malone reacted to a 2015 photo of him smoking a cigar, which has gone viral. Summa instituted a nicotine-free policy for new hires some years back.

A big announcement was made in the local healthcare marketplace. Over the next decade, Summa Health will be investing $350 million into the community and its facilities.

Dr. Thomas Malone, president and CEO of Summa Health, joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to talk about the announcement, which came down on Tuesday. Some of what Summa will be working on is constructing a new patient tower at the main campus, increasing their outpatient capacity, adding private rooms for patients, and improving the services at the Barberton campus.

In addition to the physical changes, Dr. Malone believes this will be great for both the employees and the region. “We’re not only here to stay, but we need to lead the change in healthcare in this community."