New CEO named at Summit Medical
by September 30, 2011 3:48 pm 167 views
Sue Conley, the chief operating officer at Sparks Health System in Fort Smith, will become the new CEO of Summit Medical Center in Van Buren beginning Oct. 1.
Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Systems owns Sparks and leases Summit from Crawford County.
“Pam Tahan resigned as CEO of Summit Medical Center September 13 and her last official day is September 30,” noted Stacy Caldarera, public relations and marketing director for Summit. “We wish Pam and her family the very best as she relocates and in her future endeavors.”
According to the Summit statement, Conley has more than 15 years experience in hospital management at facilities in Arkansas, Nevada and Texas. She earned a master’s degree in health care administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She also earned undergraduate degrees in medical technology and in biology from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.
Conley will oversee a 103-bed acute care hospital that employs 215 and has access to 137 physicians.
“This an exciting time at Summit Medical Center with the recent quality awards the hospital has earned. The medical staff looks forward to more great things happening under Sue’s leadership,” Brett Whatcott, D.O., chief of staff at Summit Medical Center, noted in the statement.
Summit Medical was recently recognized as a Top Performing Hospital by Joint Commission for Pneumonia Care. Only seven hospitals in Arkansas were recognized. Also, for the latest data published by the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, Summit Medical Center is first out of 46 hospitals in the same Medicare category and fifth statewide for Appropriate Care Measures.
The CEO transition at Summit is the second announced within 60 days at the three primary hospitals that serve the Fort Smith/Van Buren area. It was announced Aug. 1 that St. Edward Mercy CEO Jeff Johnston is leaving the Fort Smith hospital to lead St. John’s Mercy in St. Louis — the largest hospital among the 28 in the St. Louis-based Sisters of Mercy network. Johnston began his St. Louis job on Sept. 1.