Biddle Named Senior VP Ascension Health
Neeysa Biddle, FACHE, has been named Senior Vice President, Ascension Health and Birmingham Market Executive. In this role she has leadership responsibility for St. Vincent’s Health System (STVHS). Since September 2014 Biddle has served as interim President and CEO of STVHS, where she had served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from 2005-2011. Before rejoining STVHS she served as national Director for the Ascension Leadership Academy, a subsidiary of Ascension.
“We are delighted that Neeysa has returned to St. Vincent’s Health System,” said Bob Barnett, STVHS Board Chair. “She is an accomplished leader with a strong commitment to our mission.”
A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Biddle has more than 25 years of healthcare administrative and executive experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Health Administration from UAB. Prior to joining STVHS in 2005, she was Chief Operating Officer of Brookwood Medical Center.
She has served on the Alabama Hospital Association’s Board of Directors and as an adjunct faculty member at UAB’s School of Health Professions, where she was selected as the 2001 Alumnus of the Year. She has been named one of the Top 40 Graduates of the UAB Health Administration program and North Alabama Girl Scouts’ 2012 Woman of the Year.
Demers Named HealthSouth Lakeshore CEO
Vickie Demers has joined HealthSouth Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital as Chief Executive Officer. She has more than 20 years of healthcare experience and 14 years of hospital leadership.
Demers graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in biology and chemistry. She received her master’s degree from Georgia State University in business administration and health administration.
Trinity Names Chief Operating Officer
Drew Mason has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Trinity Medical Center. He joined the Trinity team in 2014 as Assistant CEO.
Mason has managed and implemented numerous healthcare projects during his career. Prior to his appointment at Trinity, Mason served as Assistant CEO of Gadsden Regional Medical Center in Gadsden, AL. His past experience has also included projects in the corporate offices of Community Health Systems (CHS) and with hospitals in other divisions of the company.
While at Trinity, Mason has been responsible for various operations including market development initiatives, Trinity’s physician clinic network and the new Grandview Medical Center construction and relocation project.
Mason received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Villanova University and his master’s degree in business administration with specialization in healthcare from Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. He is also a graduate of the CHS leadership development program.
CON Board Approves 30 Beds for CRMC
The State of Alabama Certificate of Need (CON) Review Board has unanimously approved a 30-bed Certificate of Need for Cullman Regional Medical Center (CRMC).
In 2009, CRMC acquired 30 beds following the Healthcare Authority of Cullman County’s purchase of Woodland Medical Center. CRMC was granted a three year waiver by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) with respect to these beds which were added to CRMC’s licensed capacity through January of 2015 without a construction project. CRMC needed to obtain a new CON to put these beds back into service after the expiration of the waiver.
MGMA/Alabama Holds Statewide Conference
MGMA/Alabama held its statewide winter conference at the Wynfrey Hotel in early March.
Dan Thurmon, the author of Off Balance on Purpose, opened the conference at the Wednesday morning general session with a talk on balancing work with the demands of daily life. That afternoon, Aaron Beam, the former CFO of HealthSouth, discussed corporate fraud. Cynthia Ransburg Brown, an attorney with Sirote & Permutt, addressed the Thursday morning general session where she discussed the latest compliance and regulatory issues facing medical practices.
The conference included ten breakout sessions. Terrie Munroe of Focused LLC discussed creating conversations the encourage helpful dialogue in the workplace. Jeb Sheppard with MGMA Government Affairs in Washington, DC updated the group on recent actions by Congress and federal agencies affecting healthcare providers. Russ Dorsey of Kassouf & Company spoke on HIPAA security audits. Jim Stroud of Warren Averett hosted a session on hiring new physicians. Jerry Callahan and Joni Wyatt of Kassouf & Company talked about the reimbursement cycle and operational costs.
