From leadership appointments at newly formed health systems to financial experts stepping into CEO positions and the end of some decades-long healthcare careers, here are 10 CFO moves that captured the attention of Becker's Hospital Review's readers this year:
1. Anthony DeFurio was named executive vice president and CFO of Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health, a 67-hospital system resulting from the merger of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Mr. DeFurio joined Atrium Health in 2017 after previously serving as CFO for Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth. Other leadership positions held throughout his career include serving as CFO for the University of Colorado Hospital Authority in Aurora, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Columbia, S.C.-based Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals and Englewood, Colo.-based Catholic Health Initiatives.
2. Michael Mewhirter, CFO of Kettering (Ohio) Health since April 2020, was appointed interim CEO of the 14-hospital system. The news came after Fred Manchur — who served as CEO of Kettering Health for the last 12 years — announced he will take a leave of absence before retiring Dec. 31. Mr. Mewhirter will serve as interim CEO until a permanent CEO is appointed.
3. Priscilla Needham stepped down as CFO of Billings (Mont.) Clinic on Dec. 14. Ms. Needham accepted a new position as CFO of Tallahassee (Fla.) Memorial HealthCare to be closer to family, the health system said in an email shared with Becker's. She became CFO of Billings Clinic in 2020. Before that, she served as CFO of Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston. Kathleen Quinones, Billings Clinic system controller, has been named interim CFO.
4. Scott Posecai was named executive vice president, CFO and treasurer of New Orleans-based Ochsner Health. Most recently, Mr. Posecai served as executive vice president of insurance partnerships and treasurer and led the Ochsner Accountable Care Network, one of the country’s top large accountable care organizations. He joined Ochsner in 1987 and was named CFO in 1995, a role he held until Ochsner Clinic merged with Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation in 2001. After the merger, he was named CFO of Ochsner Clinic Foundation and assumed the treasurer role in 2018.
5. David Wrigley was appointed executive vice president and CFO of Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai Health System. Mr. Wrigley is also treasurer of the health system, and secretary of the finance and investment committees of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center board of directors. He succeeded Edward Prunchunas, who retired after 41 years at the system. Mr. Wrigley came to Cedars-Sinai in 2014 as vice president of finance.
6. Daniel Morash was named Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital's CFO and senior vice president of finance. In addition to Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mr. Morash is also leading finance departments at the Brigham and Women's Physicians' Organization and Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital. He previously served as CFO of the Mass General Physicians' Organization and as executive director of Massachusetts General Hospital's anesthesia, critical care and pain medicine department.
7. Leslie Flake, BSN, became CFO of Orlando (Fla.) Health's CFO. Most recently, Ms. Flake served as senior vice president of finance for Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Spectrum Health. She also previously served as CFO and chief compliance officer for Phoenix-based Banner Health Medical Group and its 1,500-plus providers in six states.
8. Chris Harrison was promoted to CFO of Brentwood, Tenn.-based Quorum Health. Mr. Harrison joined the health system in 2020 as senior vice president of financial planning and analysis. Before that, he worked in financial management and operations positions at Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Health and Southfield, Mich.-based Beaumont Health.
9. JoAnn Kunkel was appointed CFO of New Orleans-based LCMC Health. Ms. Kunkel spent the bulk of her career at Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health, where she served as CFO. She joined Sanford Health in 1992 and retired in 2020. She subsequently joined the University of South Dakota, where she led financial affairs.
10. Russ Ranallo, former vice president of finance for Owensboro (Ky.) Health, was selected as the health system's CFO. Mr. Ranallo began his career with Owensboro Health in 1994 and had served as vice president of finance for the past 17 years. His achievements include financing the $385 million construction of Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, the system's largest project to date.