Medical staff at North Country Hospital in Newport, Vt., have voted no confidence in CEO Brian Nall, news station WCAX reported Oct. 21.
Mr. Nall joined the hospital in 2018 from HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville, Ill.
Under his leadership, there have been management decisions that have created concerns about the work environment at the hospital and how it is affecting staff and patients, medical staff told WCAX. Former staff members told the news station they left the hospital voluntarily and that power dynamics created when Mr. Nall arrived are resulting in resignations and staffing gaps. As of Oct. 24, there are 37 nursing positions, 25 allied health positions and nine physician openings listed on the hospital's website.
A statement provided to WCAX from Frank Knoll, chair of the hospital's board of trustees, says, "The board takes this very seriously and is aware of the vote and looking into the matter. Because this is a personnel matter, we are of course not able to share any additional information at this time. We are deeply committed to the staff, patients and community we serve and will always act in their best interest. We appreciate the community's support and understanding."
Regarding staffing, a statement provided to the news station said the hospital struggles like other healthcare organizations and has "made several really important additions to our team recently including two primary care physicians, and a cardiologist joining in January, and we have a couple of recent additions to our emergency department team. We also have a part-time general surgeon who has come on board. We're excited to welcome them and all to North Country Hospital. We continue to work hard to hire providers of all types to care for our community."
North Country Hospital is a private, nonprofit community hospital governed by its 14-member board of trustees.