Chattanooga’s Erlanger Hospital is seen in this aerial file photo.PAID TO GO AWAYErlanger trustees have forced out each of the past three chief executive officers and paid them all severance.* Jim BrexlerCEO December 2003-December 2011Severance: $728,000 over 15 months* Dennis PettigrewErlanger CFO September 1997-March 1998; COO March 1998-October 1998; CEO October 1998-February 2003Severance: $131,000 (awarded in settlement of lawsuit seeking $380,000)* Sylvester “Skip” ReederCEO November 1994-March 1998Severance: $516,000 over two years
A strongly worded letter from Hamilton County lawmakers warns Erlanger Health System trustees for the second time in weeks to slow down their CEO search.
All seven members of the local delegation signed the letter warning that rushing the hire “would be premature” and could lead to “a [CEO] contract that would be expensive and disruptive to terminate,” according to the letter dated Tuesday.
State Rep. Gerald McCormick, House majority leader and head of the delegation, said Thursday the lawmakers acted after hearing from Erlanger trustees that the CEO vote might be moved up from late March to as soon as next week.
“The delegation felt we needed to make it clear for them what atmosphere they would be operating in,” McCormick said.