Carolinas HealthCare CEO announces executive changes

Carolinas HealthCare System CEO Gene Woods announced Wednesday he’s launching a national search for a chief operating officer, a position that has been vacant since the April 2015 departure of Joe Piemont, who worked with former CEO Michael Tarwater.

Woods said he’ll need someone to oversee operations as he keeps his eye on “strategy, culture and growth.” Woods took over as CEO in May, succeeding Tarwater who retired in June, and spent his first few months meeting employees on a “listen and learn” tour of the system.

In Wednesday’s memo to employees, Woods also announced other organizational changes, including the promotion of Debra Plousha Moore, the system’s chief human resources officer, to the newly created job of “system chief of staff,” reporting directly to Woods.

Moore will help Woods to “align talent and structure with our strategic priorities, enhance connections to community, and help coordinate board of commissioner activities,” according to the memo. Moore will be replaced after a national search.

Woods also announced:

▪ The end-of-the-year retirement of Paul Franz, an executive vice president who has been with the system since 1983. Franz will be replaced by Jerry Oliphant, effective Oct. 10. Oliphant, who has spent 15 years at the Cleveland Clinic, will become executive vice president–regional group, leading all regional operations. He will also work with Carol Lovin, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, on the “Next Gen Network strategy, to enhance current partnerships and build new ones as we expand our footprint and the communities we serve throughout the Carolinas,” the memo said.

▪ The departure of chief administrative officer John Knox, who joined the system in 1996 and will be leaving at the end of the year “to pursue other opportunities.”

▪ A change in roles for Craig Richardville, who has become the chief information and analytics officer, assuming responsibility for part of Dickson Advanced Analytics. He will report to the new COO.

This story was originally published September 21, 2016 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Carolinas HealthCare CEO announces executive changes."