The leadership changeover that has been in the works in recent weeks at Fletcher Allen Health Care will be completed at midday today, according to sources in the industry. Dr. Melinda Estes, the FAHC chief executive officer for the last eight years, will take the helm at St. Luke’s Health System in Kansas City, Mo. St. Luke’s confirmed that Estes will take the position on Friday.
Dr. John Brumsted, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Fletcher Allen, will assume the position of interim CEO while the organization carries out a national search for a new leader. Brumsted will be a candidate for the permanent position.
Brumsted, 58, is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School. He is a practicing gynecologist and has served chief medical officer. Brumsted served an earlier brief term as interim CEO when there was a series of leadership changes in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The shift in leaders comes at a critical time for Fletcher Allen, which is facing the challenges of Vermont’s movement toward a single payer.
