Ann Madden Rice, interim CEO of OHSU Health, the health system affiliated with Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University, is no longer at the helm, a spokesperson confirmed to Becker's.
OHSU Interim President Steve Stadum informed employees of Ms. Rice's departure on Jan. 14, just five weeks after announcing her appointment.
On Jan. 15, Mr. Stadum shared that Tim Goldfarb, president of The Foundation for Medical Excellence, has agreed to step into the role of interim CEO of OHSU Health, effective immediately.
Mr. Goldfarb brings decades of academic health center leadership experience to the position, according to Mr. Stadum's message, which was shared with Becker's. This includes serving as OHSU's health system CEO from 1987 to 2001. Mr. Goldfarb later served as CEO of UF Health Shands in Florida and, upon retirement in 2016, returned to OHSU Health to serve as interim CEO.
Now, he is returning to the interim CEO role again amid OHSU's planned merger with Portland-based Legacy Health. The merger would create a 12-hospital health system with more than 32,000 employees.
"For the past several years, Tim has served as a consultant for our health system and an adviser for the Legacy integration," Mr. Stadum wrote. "He holds a deep understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges our health system currently faces.
"I am confident Tim will make this transition as smooth as possible."
Mr. Stadum has served as interim president of OHSU since November. The board initially considered naming OHSU School of Medicine Dean Nate Selden, MD, PhD, as the successor to Danny Jacobs, MD, who stepped down in October but later decided to conduct a national search.
Ms. Rice was appointed interim CEO of OHSU Health after John Hunter, MD, stepped down in June. Joe Ness, COO of OHSU Health, temporarily filled the role until Ms. Rice's appointment in December.
Before joining OHSU Health, Ms. Rice had retired in May 2022 as president of Abbott Northwestern Hospital and senior vice president of Allina Health in Minneapolis, according to Mr. Stadum's letter to employees about Ms. Rice's appointment.
OHSU spokesperson Sara Hottman declined to provide additional information about Ms. Rice's departure, citing OHSU's policies and practices not to comment on personnel matters.
Editor's note: This article was updated at 5 p.m. CST on Jan. 15.