NRMC talks to CEOs

By Adam Koob (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Thursday, September 17, 2009

NATCHEZ — After announcing plans to seek out a new CEO in late August, the Natchez Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees will be interviewing four candidates for the job today.

Natchez Regional Board Chairman Dan Bland said the four candidates are from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.

But beyond that, not much else can be revealed about the candidates since all four are currently employed and their employers may not know they’re seeking other employment, Bland said.

The Georgia-based Coast-to-Coast Healthcare Recruiters firm hired by the board to help in the CEO search is responsible for bringing the four candidates to the board.

Bland said a selection committee, comprised of doctors, hospital administrators and board members, has been developed to interview the candidates.

“Right now we just want to sit down and see what they have to say,” Bland said. “We want to see what they’re all about.”

Bland said the selection committee has prepared questions for the candidates dealing with health care, administrative functions and finance.

Hospital board member and selection committee member Bernie Pyron said he’ll be looking for a strong background in finance with the next CEO.

“We have to have somebody that knows how to run a business,” Pyron said. “They have to know what they’re doing.”

Since May, Natchez Regional has been under the direction of Healthcare Management Partners, which has provided the administrative team currently in place.

Administrators with HMP are expected to continue managing the day-to-day operations at Natchez Regional until the facility is out of bankruptcy.

Natchez Regional declared bankruptcy several months ago as a means to financially restructure the facility in the face financial difficulty.

“And that’s not a situation we want to find ourselves in again,” Pyron said.

Bland said while he expects today’s interviews to last from approximately 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., he does not expect any decisions to come from the meeting as more candidates will likely be interviewed next week.

“Right now we’re keeping our options open,” he said.