THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 19, 1996 TAG: 9607190442
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARIE JOYCE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 71 lines
Portsmouth's Maryview hospital, facing tremendous changes, will be guided by a veteran of the Hampton Roads health-care market.
Richard A. Hanson, a top administrator with Norfolk's Sentara Health System, has been chosen as the new chief executive officer of Bon Secours-Maryview Health Corp., which owns Maryview and some related local health-care businesses.
Hanson is vice president of care delivery for Sentara. He was not available for comment. In a prepared statement, he said, ``I was impressed with the mission and values of Bon Secours.''
In his new role, Hanson will lead not only Maryview hospital, but also Portsmouth General Hospital, which Maryview recently bought and plans to close. He also will be in charge of a nursing home, a fund-raising foundation, a home health care agency, part interest in a health maintenance organization, and several outpatient centers and doctors' offices. Hanson will take over in early September.
Hanson will report to a board composed of local residents and Bon Secours officials. He will answer to the Bon Secours regional vice president in Richmond. Bon Secours, a group affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, owns three Richmond hospitals and jointly operates Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News.
Hanson's arrival comes at a critical time for Maryview and its parent company, Bon Secours Health System based in Marriottsville, Md.
Maryview officials say they plan to shut down Portsmouth General sometime next year, although they may continue to use the Portsmouth General downtown facilities for some services. The closing will involve personnel matters like layoffs and job shifts, and the logistical challenges of moving and consolidating entire departments.
So far, about 50 Portsmouth General employees have taken new jobs with Maryview, other Bon Secours hospitals, or Portsmouth General's previous owner, Tidewater Health Care of Virginia Beach.
While the Portsmouth takeover continues, Maryview's parent company will buy another hospital, Norfolk's DePaul Medical Center .
DePaul will continue to operate as a full-service general hospital after the sale, scheduled to happen in the next three months. However, there has been talk of consolidating the top leadership of Maryview and DePaul.
Louise B. Eidson, Maryview's vice president of marketing and planning, said no one has decided whether the Bon Secours hospitals will continue to operate with combined leadership.
``I think we're way too early in the discussion,'' she said.
Whatever happens, Maryview will benefit from Hanson's local experience, said G. Robert Aston, chairman of Maryview's board. Aston, who is president of Commerce Bank, said Maryview's selection committee was impressed with Hanson's reputation as an effective leader.
``Those good leadership skills were critically important to us,'' said Aston. Maryview's selection committee included board members, hospital employees and doctors.
The post of Maryview CEO has been empty since December, when Gary J. Herbek left to take over to head Bon Secours' Florida and South Carolina operations. H. Wayne Jones, who has been handling CEO duties, will continue in his current post of executive vice president.
Hanson, 40, has been with Sentara for 16 years, starting as an assistant administrator at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. He later served as top administrator at Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, then Sentara Hampton General Hospital. Sentara also owns a hospital in Virginia Beach.
``Dick Hanson has made numerous contributions to the progress of Sentara Health System and to the community we serve,'' said Howard P. Kern, Sentara senior vice president, in a prepared statement. ILLUSTRATION: Hanson arrives as Bon Secours plans to close
Portsmouth General and buy Norfolk's DePaul Medical Center. by CNB