Certified public accountant and veteran health care administrator Lynn DeJaco has been named interim chief financial officer at Erlanger Health System.
DeJaco replaces Erlanger's former CFO Britt Tabor, who left the Chattanooga-based public hospital system in April after 31 years of service.
Previously, DeJaco was the senior vice president and CFO for more than 17 years at FirstHealth of the Carolinas - a private, not-for-profit health care network headquartered in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The system is licensed for four hospitals with 610 beds and has 5,300 employees serving a 15-county region in the mid-Carolinas, according to FirstHealth's website.
DeJaco left FirstHealth in July 2020, according to a report in Becker's Hospital Review.
Erlanger President and CEO Dr. William Jackson said via news release, "We are excited to have Lynn bring her expertise and many years of experience to the leadership team at Erlanger. We look forward to working with her to continue Erlanger's positive trajectory."
(READ MORE: Erlanger proposed 2022 budget sets 'ambitious' $20 million income goal)
The Becker's report states that DeJaco joined FirstHealth in March 1995 in the business development department and took over as CFO in July 2003.
At FirstHealth, she led the system through mergers, acquisitions and development that created consistent revenue growth and expanded FirstHealth's market share over 20%, according to Erlanger's new release.
"DeJaco steered adoption of new technologies to create effective workflows and enhance clinical systems, more than doubled the net asset base, and maintained Double A category credit. All of this was accomplished while improving quality, patient satisfaction, employee engagement, and building organizational desirability and sustainability," the Erlanger release states.
DeJaco brings nearly 40 years of financial and auditing experience to Erlanger, working as an audit and tax manager with one of the big four accounting firms, director of internal audit, network development and vice president of business development.
"She was previously responsible for all financial and strategic matters for FirstHealth of the Carolinas including the long term strategic plan and execution to drive system financial and strategic performance," according to Erlanger. "She also executed successful planning and management of evolving payment models including a provider owned health plan with commercial and Medicare Advantage, provider-based reimbursement, CMS Bundled Payments for Care Improvement, and other reimbursement strategies providing significant revenue gains for the system."
DeJaco graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and went on to receive a master's degree in public administration at UNC.
She is a member of numerous board and industry groups, including the Healthcare Financial Management Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Contact Elizabeth Fite at efite@timesfreepress.com or follow her on Twitter @ecfite.