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. Gary Fulbright, CEO/executive director of Citizens Memorial Hospital and Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation in Bolivar, Missouri, announced his retirement on Thursday, which will be effective December 31, 2021, according 

. Fulbright joined CMH in June 1982 as its controller, became chief financial officer in 2003, and took over as CEO/executive director in January 2020. Fulbright was credited with leading CMH through the pandemic, setting up a designated treatment area, a drive-through testing site, and community vaccination events. He broke ground on the 8,300-square-foot Willard Medical Center that will open in November 2021. The CMH and CMH Foundation boards of directors will form a committee and to find Fulbright’s replacement, according to the statement.

Lori House, MHA, CPHIMS, CPC, has been named CEO of Sevier County Hospital, in Dequeen, Arkansas, members of the board announced this week. House has most recently served as the revenue cycle manager for Healthy Connections out of Mena, Arkansas. She has more than 18 years of experience and described herself as a “servant leader” 

. House will begin her new post June 1, 2021. A new medical center is scheduled to open in spring 2022.

Jeanette Filpi, MHA, has been appointed interim CEO of Southwest Health System, based in Cortez, Colorado. Her appointment was effective April 26, 

 released last week. CFO Rick Shrader, briefly stepped in as CEO until a long-term interim CEO could be selected, according to Southwest Health. Former CEO Tony Sudduth resigned April 6, 2021. Filip will serve while a search continues for a permanent leader for the health system, which operates Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez. Filpi will recruit a permanent chief nursing officer to succeed Karen Labonte. Chief Operating Officer Kerri White-Singleton is currently serving as interim chief nursing officer.

Clay Ritchey has been named CEO of Verato, maker of next-generation identify resolution technology, the company announced this week. Ritchey has held senior leadership roles over the last three decades across the healthcare and technology/software space. He most recently served as CEO of Evariant, a healthcare SaaS SRM and big data analytics company—ultimately leading that company to a successful merger with Healthgrades in January 2020. Verato’s enterprise master person index (EMPI) integrates patient data collected from within and beyond the healthcare system, allowing clients to integrate their solutions for CRM, analytics, clinical, and digital experience faster and with lower overall cost than any other technology.

Articles

MED MOVES: Fulbright to Retire From CMH; Appointments at Southwest Health System, Sevier County Hospital

The public health focus of the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted from testing to getting as many people vaccinated as possible—this week, the FDA could authorize vaccines for youth as young as 12 years old. But testing is still important, and will likely be with us for some time, according to Ted Karkus, CEO of ProPhase Labs, Inc., who spoke with 

 As the emphasis has turned to vaccination, which groups are the primary ones being tested?

 The primary group being tested is symptomatic people. It appears that everyone is letting their guard down. Understandably, everyone is psychologically burned out from the past year of the pandemic. However, there has been a significant wave of COVID-19 in Europe and upturns in COVID-19 incidents in some parts of the United States. People think that now that the vaccine is here they don’t need to be tested—which is dangerous. If you are vaccinated, you can still be infected with COVID-19 and still pass it on to others. The vaccine is more likely to diminish symptoms which in turn means that more people are likely to be walking around with COVID-19 that are totally unaware. Also, as facilities begin to reopen, many states are creating guidelines, one of those being a baseline requirement before reopening. This means that a lot of facilities are having to test their entire staff or residents to create a baseline of coronavirus cases so that they can monitor spikes and keep control of the situation. As events and travel begin to increase, we will also see large groups of people who need to be tested for entrance to sporting events, airline travel, weddings, etc.

 Which groups are not being tested that should be tested?

 Virtually everyone should be getting tested, at least sporadically. If you are going to restaurants or work or any large social gathering, or have come in contact with someone that may have COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19-19, then you should be tested.

 What types of testing technology are recommended for various groups? How do we match the testing technology to the circumstance—for example, a test for a nursing home vs. the pre-game test for an NBA basketball game?

 This is actually a quite complicated question and the answers are many. For example, in New York, at first, no fans were allowed in a major sporting event. Then, they were allowed on a limited basis with a negative PCR COVID-19 test. Then, proof of vaccination or a rapid antigen test was also acceptable. The problem with a vaccination record is that it does not prevent you from catching and spreading the virus. As for a rapid test, the results for most rapid tests are significantly less reliable than PCR testing. However, if you have been vaccinated, then showing your record is a lot more convenient than getting another COVID-19 test. The same goes for rapid tests, which give you immediate results but are not reliable. At ProPhase Labs, we try to address this issue by providing the gold standard PCR testing with results in less than 24 hours. This provides the convenience that is often needed while providing the most accurate and safest results.

 Can we expect that testing will become a routine part of certain experiences, such as overseas travel, going to a wedding, or getting certain medical procedures? What will be the time frame for that?

 It’s a bit different depending on whether you are looking at it from a state, national, or international perspective. For example, in New York State you have already seen this take place in all of those aspects. People who are having weddings ask that you get tested beforehand, New York State requires two negative tests to opt-out of quarantine after traveling to certain states (one before departure and one four days after return to the state), and sporting events have required proof of a negative test or now vaccination results. On the other hand, you have states like Florida that have let people determine whether or not they want to get tested and let those establishments carry those decisions. Europe is currently experiencing another COVID-19 wave and Britain for example is considering implementing two tests a week for their citizens. So, on an International scale, and for U.S. citizens wanting to travel to foreign countries, I think it will become a regular practice.

 Whose job is to decide when people should be tested? Is it the government/health authority, or private entities like the NCAA or Professional Golf Association, or the airlines?

: Its common sense that health authorities and experts should be making these recommendations or regulations. Private entities do not have a holistic view of cases across the country and they are also not certified to speak on a global pandemic.

 What have we learned about testing during the first year of the pandemic? What did we do right and what mistakes were made?

 After one year of testing and throughout the pandemic, I think we learned that we are going to be dealing with the virus for years to come. That means testing is here to stay. In general, once the severity of the situation set in—people did a good job of staying home, business and schools began work-from-home and virtual learning to help stop the spread, and people also became more hygienic through constantly washing their hands, using sanitizer, and using other PPE. However, one mistake made was not emphasizing the importance of testing on a national scale and as a result, testing was not conducted at the levels it should have been from the very start. Even now, with the administration change and emphasis put on testing by experts, we are still having to evolve testing so that more and more people will participate. That’s why you see a lot of new technologies and at-home testing being developed, approved by the FDA, and commercialized.

Ted Karkus is CEO of ProPhase Labs, Inc. In this role, he directly manages and oversees corporate strategy, product development, sales and marketing, and R&D. Karkus has long focused his career on investing, management consulting and managing emerging growth companies.

The CEO of a medical technology and diagnostics company discusses why individual testing for COVID-19 will be part of the landscape for the foreseeable future.

The Importance and Expansion of COVID-19 Testing

. Less than two years after taking the helm at Baptist Health, the Jacksonville-based health system that serves Northeast Florida, CEO Brett McClung announced his resignation effective May 1, 2021, telling the 

 that it was a “difficult decision that I reached after much reflection.” According to the report, the health system’s board was aware of McClung’s plans to step down and announced plans for a thorough internal and external search for a new CEO. Michael Mayo, hospital president of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, will serve as interim president and CEO.

Rothman Orthopaedic Institute has named Christopher T. Olivia as its new CEO ahead of plans for a national expansion. Olivia, who started in April, is an ophthalmologist who returns to the Philadelphia area, where the orthopedics company has been buying up practices in the region. Rothman plans to grow from 212 physicians to 500 over the next three to five years. Olivia told 

 he would like to see Rothman become what he called the “first national musculoskeletal brand. No one has one.”

 James Chomas, PhD, has been named CEO of CereHealth Corp., a data analytics technology company that provides medical analytics as a service. Chomas will work closely with John Kelley, who has been CEO since 2009 and will transition to the role of executive director and continue as board chair. Kelley is credited with taken CereHealth from a single site brain imaging clinic to a nationwide neurodiagnostic network and leader in advanced central nervous system data analytics and technologies. Chomas is experienced in startup leadership, investor relations, product development, and FDA approvals. He previously founded Surefire Medical (now TriSalus Life Sciences), which develops innovative oncology drug delivery systems. As CEO he raised $55 million in venture capital and led the company from concept through commercialization.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has appointed Sophia G. Holder as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Holder has more than 20 years of experience in the industry, most recently at Boston Children's Hospital. There, Holder led employee engagement efforts in finance and was an active participant in achieving equity, diversity, and inclusion goals. At CHOP, she will oversee all financial functions in support of the institution, upholding a culture of collaboration, transparency, and accountability. She replaces Tom Todorow, who is retiring after 20 years at CHOP.

News in orthopedics, technology, and neurodiagnostics.

MED MOVES: No Reason for Baptist Health CEO Resignation; Rothman Plans Expansion

Providers have plenty on their plates these days. The era of value-based care—of paying for outcomes—has brought with it enormous documentation requirements. Along with the shift has come a trend toward asking health systems and physician practices to assume more risk, meaning they are paid based on their ability to keep patients well. A key to compliance is following quality programs and staying on top of the latest evidence-based practices.

How can a busy physician to keep up? This is where point-of-care tools come in. Curation Health is among those offering clinical decision support alongside an electronic health record (EHR) to help physicians stay on top of clinical and quality rules and keep up with documentation as they go.

, the chief medical officer for Curation Health, to answer questions about how the company’s technology can make life easier for doctors and save money at the same time. Lambert has more than 20 years of experience as a clinician, chief medical information officer and leader in value-based care, having served on leadership teams for EHR implementations at public health systems in New York City, the University of Washington in Seattle, Johns Hopkins, Barnabas Health, Medstar and Broward Health.

Can you give us the “elevator pitch” description of what you’re doing at Curation Health and how you seek to improve the lives of clinicians?

 advanced clinical decision support platform for value-based care drives more accurate risk adjustment and improved quality program performance by curating relevant insights from disparate sources and delivering them to the point of care. With Curation Health, clinicians enjoy a streamlined, comprehensive clinical documentation process that enables better clinical and financial outcomes – while reducing administrative burdens on physicians. Curation Health is specifically focused on improving the lives of clinicians by reducing documentation burdens, while ensuring the full capture of complexity. With Curation, clinicians are empowered to spend more time caring for patient—and less time on administrative tasks.

There’s been a lot in the literature in recent years about physician burnout, and that has increased dramatically in the past year with the pandemic. What have you learned about physician burnout that informs what you’re doing at Curation Health?

 Amid the pandemic, physician burnout has been at an all-time high—and rightly so considering how harrowing this past year has been for clinicians. One of our key learnings at Curation regarding physician burnout is just how inundated physicians are with poor information. This leads to dissatisfaction with technology and unnecessary time spent confirming the right patient insights and health details. The reality is that while there is much hope in the potential of applying machine learning and natural language processing to solve for this challenge, the technology still needs human support. We are obsessed with delivering, to the point of care, the right information at the right time.

 How are you trying to address a specific pain point of the process—prior authorization?

 Burdens specific to clinical documentation is where Curation provides the most value specifically for clinicians. More so, as more providers transition to value-base care, Curation Health provides them with a clinical documentation improvement platform that helps ensure the most critical patient details are captured in alignment with risk-based contracts. More insights on the value the Curation Health platform offers for providers and payers transitioning to value-based care can be found 

Is there a specific goal for your tools—reducing back-end time by a certain percentage, increasing face time with patients by a certain number of minutes?

 From a clinician point-of-view, the main goal and value-add of the Curation Health platform is reducing the time spent on clinical documentation versus patient care. In addition, our consistent 9-out-of-10 net promoter score from physician end-users reinforces the critical value Curation provides when it comes to reducing documentation burdens for physicians.

 Describe how you involve clinicians in the product development process.

Aside from being the chief medical officer at Curation Health, I am a practicing clinician. I work hand-in-hand with our product development team to address the clinical documentation issues I myself face every day. Our team has extensive experience in provider engagement and clinical workflow optimization, and combined with ongoing feedback from our current end users, we are continuously improving our platform.

 How will the movement toward interoperability and pricing transparency affect what you’re doing?

 Interoperability and price transparency have a limited direct impact on the work we are doing at Curation. We are laser-focused on helping providers and payers transition from volume to value, starting with the clinician at the point-of-care. Nonetheless, we support both of these efforts because of the critical impact that they will have on improving patient care and, hopefully, reducing healthcare costs over time.

A leader in the transition to value-based care answers questions about a point-of-care option.

CHE Staff

Articles

MED MOVES: Fulbright to Retire From CMH; Appointments at Southwest Health System, Sevier County Hospital

The Importance and Expansion of COVID-19 Testing

MED MOVES: No Reason for Baptist Health CEO Resignation; Rothman Plans Expansion

Delivering Insights to the Point of Care: A Q&A With Dr. Matt Lambert of Curation Health