Veteran hospital administrators among Erlanger's top 3 CEO finalists

By Kate Belz

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo The Erlanger Medical Center is seen in this aerial photo.

ERLANGER FINALISTSRear Adm. Donald R. Gintzig: Based in Washington, D.C., Gintzig serves on both active and reserve duty for "one of the nation's largest and most integrated health systems" as senior health care executive for the U.S. Navy. In previous years, Gintzig was CEO for United Health Group in Minneapolis, Minn., and president and CEO of Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro. Gintzig is past executive board member of the Tennessee Hospital Association and currently regional policy board member with the American Hospital Association.Ken D. Haynes: Until this summer, Haynes oversaw the seven-hospital St. Joseph Health System, which spans central and eastern Kentucky and is part of Catholic Health Initiatives. Previously Haynes served as CEO for St. Vincent Health System in Little Rock, Ark., and as assistant administrator of Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. He was named Senior Healthcare Executive of the Year by the American College of Healthcare Executives in Arkansas in 2006, and was formerly on the board of directors of both the Little Rock and Lexington Chambers of Commerce.Kevin M. Spiegel: He oversees Methodist University Hospita and is also an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center College of Medicine. Spiegel previously has been president and CEO for Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio, and chief operating officer at Southampton Hospital in Southampton, N.Y. Siegel is currently a board member of Mid-South Healthcare Executives and acting regent for Tennessee with the American College of Healthcare Executives.

A week after Erlanger hospital's board of trustees got the list of the top picks for the hospital's new president and CEO, administrators made the names public.

The finalists are Rear Adm. Donald R. Gintzig, senior health care executive with the U.S. Navy; Ken D. Haynes, CEO who oversaw St. Joseph Hospital, St. Joseph East Hospital and St. Joseph Jessamine, based in Lexington, Ky.; and Kevin M. Spiegel, who currently serves as CEO at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis.

Each of the three candidates will visit Erlanger in the coming weeks.

Following their tours and interviews with trustees and others, the full board will vote publicly for a permanent CEO. That vote is expected sometime by March.

Former president and CEO Jim Brexler resigned a little more than a year ago. The process to find a new CEO began in April with an eight-member search committee comprised of five board Erlanger members and representatives from the medical community.

In the meantime, Charlsetta Woodward-Thompson has served as interim CEO. She interviewed for the position but did not make the finalist cut.

At a crowded meeting Dec. 6, a group of physicians, Erlanger employees and community leaders protested the search committee's decision to exclude Woodward-Thompson from the list of front-runners.

A letter drafted by physicians stated that Woodward-Thompson's team had "calmed turbulent times" and brought new stability to the hospital.

Despite the requests to slow or halt the search process, the board voted to move forward with the process of interviewing the recommended candidates.

Erlanger has provided brief biographies of the candidates.