[T]im Ford, the head of the financially troubled Springfield Hospital, resigned his post Wednesday morning following news reports of unpaid bills and frustrated physicians.
Staff said a mum order was also handed down by the administration Wednesday to prevent staff from speaking further with the media.
Springfield Medical Care Systems chair George Lamb said in an email sent to the hospital staff Wednesday that the board accepted Ford’s resignation earlier that day.
Lamb declined to comment on personnel changes when met Wednesday at his law office in Springfield. In a previous interview, Lamb expressed confidence in Ford’s leadership.
“I think Tim is doing a fine job,” Lamb said before Ford resigned.
However, about 75 percent of the medical staff signed a vote of “no confidence” in Ford’s leadership last month, in an effort led in part by Dr. Gerald Drabyn.
The budget challenges at Springfield Hospital came to a head this year when the hospital stopped paying contractors for services such as heating oil and medical supplies, and stopped covering health insurance for its employees.
Ford, who was paid about $260,000 per year, had been with the hospital for five years. He was previously CEO of Blowing Rock Hospital in North Carolina. Ford resigned about a week after CFO Scott Whittemore abruptly resigned Dec. 3. Both departures have gone unexplained.
Springfield Hospital employees, reached by phone, said they were instructed not to talk to the press. Current and former doctors, nurses and staff members who worked for the hospital were cautiously optimistic about the leadership change.
One doctor who asked to not be named said this was just a start of many staff changes that need to happen. The doctor said the entire administration “should be sacked.”
John Bond, a medical provider who retired last August, was also critical of the board and the administration.
“Financially we’ve never been in this much trouble,” said Bond, who had been with the hospital for 30 years. “The whole top structure has been there while all this is going on.”
Bond was formerly the part-owner of Emergency Services of New England, a company that staffed the emergency room at Springfield Hospital for about 40 years. The company’s contract was terminated this October.
Bond has been outspoken in public board meetings, urging for a change in leadership.
“I think it would nice if we had a fresh start,” he said. “I’m looking forward to a clean sweep.”
Josh Cascadden, a physician assistant who is one of about 40 people impacted by the terminated emergency room contract this year, said he was optimistic for the hospital moving forward now that Ford is gone.
“I think it’s a chance to refresh and start anew,” he said. “You’ll see this reinvigoration of the medical staff wanting to work for the organization to improve things.”
However, Cascadden said more needed to be done.
“There’s still a sinking ship,” he said.
Chief of Practice Operations Josh Dufresne, who has been with Springfield Hospital 14 years, will take over leadership until an interim CEO and CFO are hired.
Lamb, the board chair, said interim leaders would be named “shortly,” but he did not have a specific timeframe.
Kevin Mullin, chair of the Green Mountain Care Board, Vermont’s hospital regulator, said he spoke with Lamb about the budget challenges and Ford’s resignation. Mullin said the hospital appeared to be taking necessary steps to improve its financial situation.
“I think, at this point, we have to give the community a chance to right the ship on their own,” he said. “I’m not concerned about the existence of the hospital. I am concerned about whether or not they’ll be able to continue to offer as much as they have in the past.”
Springfield is one of a handful of small Vermont hospitals struggling to find a path to sustainability. Mullin has previously said that one way to create significant savings at these facilities is to cut services and increase outside referrals, noting that most communities are not prepared to make those “very tough decisions.”
Springfield Hospital executives have said in filings with the care board that they are prepared to start shedding programs if finances don’t improve in the short term.
The emergency room contract change was among the cost-saving measures it has already taken. A new company, Bluewater Emergency Partners out of Maine, will staff the emergency room starting in April.
Bluewater CEO Jay Mullen said he was surprised when he heard of Ford’s resignation Wednesday. Mullen said Bluewater was still committed to coming to Springfield Hospital.
“We look forward to the challenges and learning more about what led to Ford’s decision,” Mullen said.
Under Bluewater, a doctor or physician assistant will staff the hospital 36 hours a day, down from 50 hours of daily coverage provided by ESNE.
Hospital spokesperson Anna Smith said the contract change would bring “significant savings.”
The hospital also hired Quorum Health Resources, a large health care professional services company, to review the budget challenges. Quorum is also helping Springfield find a new CEO and CFO.
Lamb spent much of the day Wednesday meeting with Springfield Hospital staff to keep them informed about the changes. Despite the challenges, Lamb was confident the hospital would recuperate.
“The future of the hospital is bright — very bright,” Lamb said. “We have to keep moving forward.”
Mike Faher contributed reporting.
