One Brooklyn Health's board of trustees voted to appoint Sandra Scott, MD, as interim CEO on Nov. 17.
Dr. Scott will begin the role in January while the board of the New York City-based safety-net hospital system conducts a national search for a permanent CEO, according to a news release shared with Becker's.
Dr. Scott has served as the executive director of the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center of One Brooklyn Health for nearly three years — and was the first woman, person of color and physician to have the title. Her career also includes serving as chair of One Brooklyn Health's emergency medicine department.
"With her undeniable experience and tenure, we are elated to announce Dr. Sandra Scott's appointment as interim CEO for One Brooklyn Health," Alexander Rovt, PhD, chair of the board of trustees, said in the release. "In this role, Dr. Scott will continue to play a vital role in OBH's operations that ensure access to care, quality of care and patient safety as top priorities at every level in our healthcare network."
Dr. Scott said: "I am honored to step into the role as Interim CEO and work with the Board of Trustees to ensure a steadfast commitment to providing our communities with the best medical care and breaking down barriers to healthy living."
The vote to appoint Dr. Scott came two months after the board of trustees voted to remove One Brooklyn Health CEO LaRay Brown. The vote to remove Ms. Brown led healthcare union members to protest in September, urging the board and state and local leaders to commit to transparency and continued investment in the health system.
In a Nov. 17 statement about Dr. Scott's appointment, 1199SEIU said it was "deeply dismayed that One Brooklyn Health board leadership continues to ignore caregiver and community voices regarding the direction of the health system. Healthcare transformation in Brooklyn's most vulnerable communities cannot succeed without seeking consensus from the broad coalition of stakeholders who have helped guide OBH from its inception."
One Brooklyn Health, formed in 2016, includes Brookdale, Interfaith Medical Center and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and their affiliated facilities.
The hospital system said its board of trustees will consult with a leading medical executive search firm in January to conduct a national search for a permanent CEO.