The Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County is expected to select a new permanent CEO for Valdosta-based South Georgia Medical Center next week, roughly one month after the hospital's former chief executive asked for a contract buyout, according to the Suwannee Democrat.
The hospital authority is expected to meet Sept. 11 to discuss the selection of a permanent hospital CEO. Officials will also consult with its hired legal team to discuss pending or potential litigation brought against the authority or its employees, the report states.
Last month, former hospital CEO Ross Berry sent a letter to the hospital authority asking it to pay him three years' worth of his base salary and a lump sum bonus payout of $325,000 to end his contract. He also asked the authority to pay for his attorney fees and include a nondisparagement agreement.
Mr. Berry claimed the hospital authority did not allow him to do his job, that it thwarted his attempts to fix problems at the facility and that the situation had become untenable.
In his letter, Mr. Berry gave the hospital authority until Aug. 17 to make a decision on his contract. Seven days before the deadline, the hospital authority appointed Bill Forbes, assistant administrator at SGMC, interim CEO of the hospital.
Mr. Berry and SGMC also faced backlash and protests after firing two of the hospital's leading cardiothoracic surgeons Joe Johnson, MD, and Randall Brown, MD, in July. The surgeons worked at the SGMC CardioVascular Institute.
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