Beebe Healthcare, a community health system based in Lewes, Del., has eliminated the position of Executive Vice President and COO Rick Schaffner, RN, Delaware News Journal reported July 27.
"Beebe Healthcare is undergoing a transformational journey to become more agile and streamlined to be able to serve our community for the next 100 years," Beebe President and CEO David Tam, MD, said in an emailed statement shared with the newspaper. "In an effort to recalibrate the team of executives leading our growing and evolving healthcare system, I am eliminating the executive vice president and chief operating officer position while reassigning duties to others."
Beebe announced Mr. Schaffner as executive vice president and COO in January 2015. Before that, he had served in the same role from 2004 to 2007 before becoming senior vice president and COO at Holy Spirit Health System in Camp Hill, Pa.
Mr. Schaffner also served as interim CEO of Beebe after former Beebe Healthcare President and CEO Jeffrey Fried left the helm in March 2019. The health system's current CEO, Dr. Tam, began his role in 2020.
"Transforming our organization is necessary to care for our expanding community but change is never easy," Dr. Tam said in the statement shared with Delaware News Journal. "We are thankful for Rick's 11-plus years of dedicated service to Beebe, and his efforts to expand our nonprofit, community health system throughout Sussex County and persevere during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Outside of the COO role, Beebe has announced several leadership appointments this week, including Kevin Ussery as executive director of human resources; Loretta Ostroski, MSN, RN, as vice president of integrative care, continuum of care; and Danielle Socrates as vice president of value-based care.