Erich Wolters has been named the new interim CEO at Westerly Hospital, replacing Karen S. Poole, who left Feb. 19.
Poole and Wolters are affiliated with Tennessee-based Cambio Health Solutions Inc., the company hired to work with the hospital during the process of finding a permanent CEO. Poole was not a candidate for the CEO position, and Wolters is not considered a candidate.
Poole took a division president job for Psychiatric Solutions Inc. in her home state of Tennessee. Wolters, who has spent summers at Misquamicut Beach in the Westerly area, was chosen by the hospital’s board of directors for his experience in managing performance improvement projects.
The hospital said he is expected to continue a betterment initiative at the hospital that includes the following:
• Improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the process by which the hospital gets paid for services
• Improving materials management and group purchasing opportunities for cost savings
• Streamlining processes
• Decreasing waiting time
• Improving communication and overall enhancing of the hospital’s emergency department.
Poole had been with Westerly since November 2003 following the resignation of former CEO and President Michael K. Lally, who directed Westerly Hospital for 15 years.
A list of candidates to become the permanent CEO, being put together by executive search firm Witt-Kieffer based in Oak Brook, Ill., is expected to be delivered to the board some time this month.
Hospital spokesman Nicholas J. Stahl said there could be a permanent CEO in place by late spring.
Jan Salsich, president of the Westerly Hospital division of the United Nurses & Allied Professionals Union, said she is uncomfortable with the “revolving door” at the administrative level. She said proposals offered by the interim administration – from increased health insurance costs for workers to below-average wage increases compared to other hospitals with unions – have increased turnover at the hospital.
“Poole and the board put in place quick fixes to problems created by the former management. This is very foolish,” she said. “Bringing in an outside consulting firm means the people who make these decisions don’t deal with the aftereffects.”
Hospital officials said it did not want to respond to the allegation.
