Akron, Ohio-based Summa Health System Interim CEO Cliff Deveny, MD, announced significant changes to top executive positions at the organization, including the termination of both the COO and CMO roles.
Here are eight notes:
1. The COO and CMO positions were held by Valerie Gibson and Vivian von Gruenigen, MD, respectively. Both positions have been eliminated.
2. Two new positions have been created — president of Summa Health System-Akron Campus and president of Summa Health System-Barberton Campus.
3. David Custodio, MD, current vice president, hospital CMO and interim emergency medicine department chair, will serve as president at the Akron Campus.
4. Michael Hughes, MD, current senior vice president of hospital operations at the Barberton Campus, will take over as its president.
5. Summa named Dennis Pijor president of SummaCare, the organization's health plan. He replaces Bob Paskowski, who had been serving as interim president of the health plan and is now leaving.
6. Tammy Scarborough, vice president, ambulatory/COO of Summa Health Medical Group, was promoted to senior vice president.
7. Ms. Scarborough, along with Dr. Custodio and Dr. Hughes, will assume many of the responsibilities currently under the COO position.
8. Dr. Deveny also thanked Ms. Gibson, Dr. von Gruenigen and Mr. Paskowski for their service to the organization.
According to internal communication circulated among Summa employees, the medical staff and the board, these changes in the leadership team were made with the aim to reduce the "layers in the organizational structure" and bring leadership closer to the staff. All the changes are effective immediately.
"Our quality of care and the efficient operation of our business is not the sole responsibility of one or two executives. It belongs to all of us and especially to the leadership of our individual entities — the Summa Health Medical Group, Summa Akron Campus, Summa Barberton Campus, Summa Ambulatory Services and SummaCare," wrote Dr. Deveny.