The CEO of Envision Healthcare, the Nashville, Tenn.-based physician provider group wrapped up in the debate over surprise medical bills, is leaving the company after 13 years.
Envision's board of directors announced the departure of President and CEO Chris Holden Feb. 5. He will be replaced by an interim office of the CEO until his successor is found. The office of the CEO will be led by three Envision leaders: Executive Vice President and COO Karey Witty; EVP and CFO Teresa Sparks; and Chief Administrative Officer Dave Esler.
The departure comes as Envision and its private equity firm owner, KKR, have been involved in congressional investigations into private equity's role in surprise billing. Many hospitals staff their emergency rooms with Envision providers, who are sometimes out of network with insurers that have in-network agreements with the staffing hospital. Often this structure is unknown to patients until they receive a large out-of-network bill.
In a recent statement to NBC affiliate News4SA, Envision and KKR maintained their stance that they're trying to end surprise billing.
"Caring for Americans through more than 35 million patient visits a year is at the core of what we do, including our efforts to end surprise medical bills," the statement reads. "In February 2017, Envision Healthcare committed to being in-network with as many insurers as possible, and since investing in Envision, KKR has fully supported this."
Editor's note: This article was updated Feb. 6, 2020.
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