PRESS RELEASES
Northeast Health System CEO Resigns; Former Board Chair Named to Interim Post
(Beverly, MA) - Northeast Health System's (NHS) Board of Trustees announced today that it has accepted the resignation of President and CEO Stephen Laverty. In the interim, the Board has appointed Henry J. Ramini, MD, as chief executive officer. NHS has established a search committee to work with the national executive search firm Witt/Kieffer to find a successor.
"Steve's skilled management has placed NHS on strong financial footing, has greatly improved health services through continued investments, and has established NHS as a leading community health care resource encompassing acute care, behavioral health and senior care," said David St. Laurent, chair of the NHS Board of Trustees. "We accept Steve's resignation with a sense of loss but also with a deep appreciation for his accomplishments."
During Mr. Laverty's tenure significant improvements in quality, clinical capability and economic vibrancy have differentiated NHS as a healthcare leader on the North Shore. More than 372 physicians have joined the Medical Staff since 2000 and nurse staffing has increased by 50 full-time positions or 13% in the last three years. New innovative capabilities exist in cardiology and cardiovascular care, gastroenterology, surgery, oncology, radiology, and emergency medicine. The organization has been noted as a 100 Top Hospital for 5 of the last 8 years with distinction for its repeat performance of excellence in clinical and financial outcomes. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid's 2008 publication of patient satisfaction identified Northeast Hospital Corporation (NHC) as one of the top ten hospitals in the state.
Mr. Laverty's commitment to investing in clinicians, technology and the facility have played a significant role in the organization achieving quality outcomes and resultant recognitions by outside parties beyond 100 Top Hospitals. For example, NHC has received the second consecutive Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's Honor Roll for Hospitals, established in 2007 by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare to supplement its Physician Group Honor Role; while the physicians at NHC have won this award for six consecutive years. This is one of the reasons that Mr. Laverty was able to work with the physicians to achieve strong contracts in 2007 when the combined organization was removed from Partners Community Healthcare, Inc.
Information technology has also been an area of focus for Mr. Laverty to improve quality and patient safety. Within the private practices and the hospital many changes have been made under his leadership. Voice recognition software is now in place to assist physicians in making their patient notations with greater speed and accuracy; Picture Archiving Communication System whereby digital images can be seen remotely for prompt and thorough diagnosis and electronic medical records are now used by nearly all primary care physicians and many specialists which ultimately improves physician to physician communication; Computerized Order Entry, which enhances the flow and clarity of physician orders within the hospital setting, are now in use by hospital physicians; and new methods of dispensing drugs to greater ensure safety in medication management were also added.
"Under Steve's leadership, Beverly Hospital has grown into the preeminent community hospital on the North Shore and for that we are all profoundly grateful," said Nancy Palmer, chair of the Northeast Hospital Corporation Board of Trustees. "He leaves this hospital system stronger and more vibrant than when he started. We will continue to provide high quality health care in the safest environment possible to the residents of the North Shore."
NHS, with guidance from Mr. Laverty, also invested in its behavioral health services. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Center for Substance Abuse Treatment invited CAB, NHS's substance abuse division, to join "The Paths to Recovery Learning Collaborative" in order to work towards improved access, retention and best practices in addiction treatment centers. The efforts to integrate behavioral health management of the seriously and persistently mentally ill patient with acute care also lead to continued research with Boston University's Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation.
Mr. Laverty's investment in NHS elder care services contributed to the Senior Adult Unit achieving NICHE (Nurses Improving Care to Health system Elders) status, a prestigious and notable accomplishment. The SAU is a unit at Addison Gilbert Hospital designed to combine inpatient acute care with behavioral health services, principally for the elderly. NICHE credentials are a specialized status in Nursing excellence and care to the elderly. The elder services division has been awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding to enhance learning and outreach in the senior community.
Mr. Laverty's desire to build a culture of philanthropy also led to the organization of Northeast Health Foundation to secure financial resources from private foundations, corporations and individual donors to support innovations such as the Special Care Nursery and Lifestyle Management Institute. This effort was an important undertaking to involve residents and the business community in NHS.
The efforts resulted in strong financial performance. The organization's Net Worth increased by over $29 million at the same time that nearly $100 million investments in technology, and facility improvement at Addison Gilbert Hospital, Beverly Hospital and Beverly Hospital at Danvers ambulatory care facility.
The Board of Trustees is confident that there will be a smooth transition, particularly since Interim CEO Dr. Ramini has worked with Beverly Hospital and Northeast Health System for decades, both as a doctor and as a former member and chair of the System Board of Trustees. The hospital leadership team will work closely with Dr. Ramini and the System Board of Trustees to ensure continuity in patient care and programming.
