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Hospital Loses Brown
By W. Lee Brame
Published:
Claiborne
Progress
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 8:41 AM CST
Correspondent
Regretfully, Claiborne County Hospital is saying to goodbye to long-time
Hospital Administrator Tim Brown. Brown submitted his resignation to the
Claiborne County Hospital Board in December in order to accept a position
with Restoration Healthcare.
Restoration Healthcare is a hospital owner/operator in Tennessee that
specializes in helping improve rural hospitals that are having financial or
service difficulties. Brown's first assignment with his new employer will be
acting chief financial officer for another East Tennessee hospital.
During Brown's 15 years with the Claiborne County Hospital, the hospital has
undergone many changes. Brown spent 11 years as the hospital's chief
financial officer and four years as hospital administrator. During that
time, the hospital has invested over $19 million dollars in new capital
equipment and facility improvements. Hospital revenues have grown from just
over $12 million dollars per year to over $31 million dollars per year while
payrolls (and employment) have more than doubled.
Brown has been instrumental in building convincing cases for improving
hospital capabilities (such has our new MRI and CAT Scan diagnostic
machines) and recruiting physicians and surgeons to support the local
community. Effective hospital board members (appointed by your county
commission) have carefully scrutinized Brown's recommendations and then
willingly supported those suggestions. Brown's most recent efforts have been
quite visible as the new medical office building nears completion.
The new medical office building is expected to improve local community
physician retention while improving patient care at the hospital.
Brown stated that Restoration Healthcare offered him a financial package and
a challenging opportunity to use his managerial skills to help other rural
hospitals survive and thrive in an increasing difficult business environment
Efforts are currently ongoing to identify and hire a new hospital
administrator. When a suitable candidate has been found, the candidate must
be approved by the hospital board. Until then, (with thanks to Brown's new
employer) Brown can still be occasionally found in his old office answering
questions, analyzing reports, and ensuring that the staff he help train over
the years continue to provide the best care possible to the community. The
pictures and mementoes that most bosses hang on their walls during their
years of service in a job may be gone, but it's evident that the captain did
not simply abandon ship.
"I have enjoyed my time here [in Claiborne County] and feel privileged to
have had the opportunity to serve such a fine team of employees, board, and
medical staff. The relationships I have built can be taken with me, and I
have a lot of great times to reflect on. I expect this hospital to continue
to grow and serve the community for a long time to come," Brown said. |