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78 West Penn doctors ask for new management team, Highmark talks
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Seventy-eight members of the West Penn Allegheny Health System medical staff have signed a petition telling health system officials they "have lost confidence in the interim executive leadership of the health system as provided by consultant Alvarez and Marsal's executive management team under the direction of interim president and CEO Keith Ghezzi."
The petitioners ask the system's board to end its contract with Alvarez "and replace the vacated positions with a permanent executive management team.
"Additionally, we request that the WPAHS board of directors resume negotiations with Highmark executives as soon as possible regarding the affiliation between the two organizations."
Alvarez and Marsal, a turnaround firm based in New York City, was hired on an interim basis to help West Penn Allegheny through the affiliation process with Highmark. The WPAHS board has said previously that changing the management team now would be too disruptive.
The West Penn Allegheny board last month voted unanimously to declare that Highmark had breached the two parties' affiliation agreement.
In response to the petition, WPAHS Board Chairman Jack Isherwood issued a statement saying that, "We value physician input on all matters related to the future of WPAHS. We appreciate their unwavering focus on excellent clinical care and teamwork with nurses, technologists and staff."
First Published October 23, 2012 4:28 pm
