Lewes-based Beebe Healthcare was not especially happy with News Journal coverage on a decision to eliminate the post of chief operating officer held by Rick Schaeffner.
The story went national, with industry bible Becker’s Hospital Review reporting a personnel change that in some cases, would have gained little attention.
“We aren’t clear on what led to their inquiry about the information contained within an internal email or why they chose to focus on only one aspect,” Christina Deidesheimer, chief marketing communications officer for Beebe stated in response to our request for the statement sent to the NJ.
The email message went on to emphasize that the elimination of the post was part of a broad restructuring at the coastal Sussex County healthcare system.
“The elimination of the COO position is not new to healthcare. Last year, only 26% of healthcare companies on the Fortune and S&P 500 has a COO. Healthcare systems across the country, likely even those within our own state of Delaware, are eliminating executive and administrative positions,” Deidesheimer, stated. “It’s important to clarify that Dr. David Tam’s overall executive changes include more than the elimination of the COO position and relate to Beebe Healthcare’s transformational journey to become more agile and streamlined to be able to serve our community for the next 100 years.”
Looking back, it would have been better if Beebe had been more forthright in publicly outlining the changes. As the largest employer in Sussex County, word of the overhaul would not remain under wraps. Granted, all organizations hate to disclose individual personnel moves involving a job loss.
Beebe has not been exempt from the pressures facing healthcare systems during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
By all accounts, Beebe CEO and former Navy healthcare leader David Tam has done an excellent job of guiding the system during a difficult period.
In dealing with Covid-19, Tam threaded the needle in a “red” county where myths regarding the virus were widely accepted. Some of Beebe’s 3,000 employees shared those sentiments.
Tam arrived in Delaware from San Diego at about the time when a major outbreak of the virus was hammering the area in and around the region’s poultry plants. The Beebe board earlier recruited Tam following a nationwide search after deciding that a new CEO was needed, even if it required a million-dollar-a-year paycheck.
Tam now faces the challenges of guiding Beebe during another difficult period, including competition from other providers and changing revenues from fees to the success of outcomes.
i can’t speak for other media outlets, but the door is open anytime healthcare systems want to tell their stories and offer needed context.
A final note: Beebe’s hometown paper, The Cape Gazette today posted a story that outlined the changes noted in Deidesheimer’s message. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
