Руководство WakeMed покидают два топ-менеджера на фоне слияния с Atrium Health

WakeMed is losing two longtime executives — moves that come as the Wake County hospital chain is trying to convince county officials to bless a proposed merger with Atrium Health. Thomas Gough, WakeMed’s chief operating officer, has been named COO at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida. He’ll start his new position on Sept. 14, the Florida hospital system said in a statement. Other WRAL Top Stories Dr. Seth Brody, who was WakeMed’s chief physician executive, joined rival UNC Health as chief medical growth officer on Aug. 24, according to an internal staff memo obtained by WRAL. Brody spent 30 years at WakeMed in a variety of executive roles. WakeMed spokeswoman Kristin Kelly said in a statement Tuesday that the departures aren’t related to the proposed merger with Atrium. But departures come at a crucial point in the effort to close the deal, which would see Atrium — part of one of the biggest nonprofit hospital networks in the country — assume the leading role of the nonprofit entity that operates WakeMed. The companies had planned to close the transaction by early next year, but the union has been delayed while county officials scrutinize the deal. “Both [Gough and Brody] had hoped and anticipated that the proposed combination would be finalized by the time they shared plans for their next chapters, although they understand and respect the Wake County Commissioners’ desire to ensure that such an important decision follows an open, thoughtful and comprehensive process,” Kelly said in a statement. Gough and Brody didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. WakeMed’s board approved the Atrium deal in April. But for the transaction to go through, the Wake County Board of Commissioners still needs to sign off on changes to WakeMed’s articles of incorporation. The county board appoints directors to WakeMed’s board. In May, commissioners were poised to approve those changes. But then they decided to delay a vote on the matter to hear from patients’ groups and state officials who worry that the transaction will lead to increased costs for patients. WakeMed and Atrium say the deal will help reduce costs, improve the quality of healthcare, attract and develop medical talent and accelerate research and innovation, laying the foundation for more clinical specialties and subspecialties in the area. ‘Could have an impact’ By partnering with Atrium, WakeMed says it can gain easier access to capital to accelerate its expansion throughout the county, helping it compete with UNC Health and Duke Health. The deal would also enable Charlotte-based Atrium to expand its reach into the fast-growing Triangle market. Atrium promises to invest $2 billion in the region and create thousands of jobs. Merging companies often try to keep top executives in place until after a deal closes — especially chief operating officers and finance chiefs, merger analysts say. Doing so helps ensure smooth operational transition and often prevents attrition elsewhere in an organization. It’s common for some executives to ultimately leave after a transition is complete. When the WakeMed-Atrium proposal was disclosed in May, WakeMed’s existing leadership team was expected to stay in place after the transaction closes. While it’s sometimes not ideal for merging companies to lose executives before a transaction closes, it’s not always an indicator that the post-merger transition is in jeopardy, said Austin Maloney, a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, a firm that advises companies on mergers and acquisitions. “It certainly could have an impact,” said Maloney, who advises highly-regulated companies in a variety of industries, including healthcare. But it’s likely that there’s enough planning in place for a smooth transition, he said. “Deals like this are generally pretty well thought out,” he said. “And so it’s likely they've spent an inordinate amount of time on transition planning, and the departure of one person is not going to be fatal to the thesis of the transaction.” The disclosure of a coming merger often causes other companies in the field to perk up — especially if they’re looking to poach executive talent. “Once you hear a company is being targeted, if you're looking for a so-and-so type of manager, you might try to cherry-pick,” said John Graham, a finance professor at Duke University. New roles Gough has nearly four decades of executive leadership experience and spent the past 11 years helping guide WakeMed through significant growth. During his tenure, WakeMed expanded access to cancer care and opened new hospitals and health centers. Gough has served on several health system, foundation and community boards focused on healthcare, including the North Carolina Healthcare Association Board of Trustees. He was picked for the Baptist Health job after a national search. “Baptist Health is entering a new chapter of growth and innovation and Gough brings the leadership experience needed to help us build for the future,” Matthew A. Zuino, Baptist Health’s chief executive, said in a statement. “By aligning strategy, operational excellence and patient-centered care, he will play a critical role in expanding Baptist Health’s impact on the communities we serve.” Gough said in a statement released by Baptist: “Baptist Health has an outstanding reputation for clinical excellence and a deep commitment to the communities it serves. ... I’m honored to join an organization with such a strong legacy in serving Northeast Florida.” In an internal note, UNC Health COO Jeff Lindsay said Brody’s role — chief medical growth officer — was created to help the system strengthen partnerships with physicians. “This new role brings a physician's insight to the center of those decisions, so that how we expand is guided by the same standard as the care we deliver,” Lindsay said in the memo. “[Brody] has deep experience partnering with strategic and operational leaders to develop and execute growth plans that expand access and strengthen performance while keeping clinical quality at the center,” Lindsay said. “That kind of partnership will be essential to his work with us.” Brody said in a post on LinkedIn: “UNC Health's mission to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians by providing leadership and excellence in patient care, education, and research, deeply resonates with me. … I am deeply grateful for the journey that brought me here and incredibly excited about what we can accomplish together at UNC Health.”