Riverside mum on CEO replacement

Riverside Health Care Facilities is refusing to say why former CEO Paul Brown has been replaced by Liz Clark, its assistant executive director of patient services.
Riverside announced abruptly yesterday that Clark would take over the helm as acting CEO until the position was filled permanently.
“The board has struck a search committee for a new CEO/administration restructuring [person],” chairman Pat Giles said yesterday, adding Brown’s last day was March 27.
Brown could not be reached for comment yesterday.
At its April meeting last Thursday in Emo, the board also approved going ahead with a study on how Riverside might be able to reduce the size of its administration.
“We have downsized in the various areas within the corporation,” Giles noted. “[Now] the board feels that it’s time to look at the administration side of the corporation.”
Riverside is in the process of hiring a consultant to make recommendations on how its can “right-size” its administration. No budget has been set as to how much it will spend for the consultant.
There also has been no targeted amount on the savings Riverside wants to gain from the “right-size,” nor a date when the study will be completed.
“Obviously, it’s as soon as possible. It will depend on the consultant,” Giles said, explaining if there were changes, Riverside wanted to have them in place before the next fiscal year which starts April 1, 1999.
And if there are reductions, some contracts require staff be issued a six-month notice, he added.
While the regular board meeting was slated to be held tomorrow, Giles said it had been moved up a week so the board could get the jump on tenders for the new Rainy River hospital project.