UAMS search narrows

Pair of finalists will tour hospital, interview this week

The search for a new chief executive officer at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital has narrowed to two finalists: the chief of doctors in the University of New Mexico Health System and the executive associate dean for clinical affairs in UAMS’ College of Medicine, according to public records.

Dr. Michael Richards of New Mexico and Dr. Richard Turnage of UAMS will tour the hospital and interview for the job this week, said Leslie Taylor, the medical school’s vice chancellor for communications and marketing. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette obtained their resumes after requesting information on the position’s finalists and applicants.

Richards and Turnage are the finalists to replace Dr. Roxane Townsend, who was paid $575,000 per year as the medical school’s vice chancellor for clinical programs and chief executive of the 450-bed academic medical center.

Patient care at the hospital and UAMS’ network of clinics is responsible for nearly three-quarters of the medical school’s $1.5 billion in annual revenue. The properties counted 1 million patient visits in the past fiscal year, Taylor said.

In interviews, both candidates said the hospital’s standing as the only academic medical center in a state of 3 million people gives it influence on broad health care issues in how patients are treated.

The national firm conducting the search, Witt/Kieffer, considered a third finalist, but that person withdrew from consideration for “personal reasons,” Taylor said.

Witt/Kieffer culled a group of about 12 “prospective candidates,” but their application information was discarded as the candidates were eliminated or withdrew, Taylor said. Discarding the applications is the firm’s normal practice as it whittles down its list of candidates, Taylor said.

Both finalists are medical doctors, administrators and professors.

Richards, 52, also works as the University of New Mexico Health System’s chief strategy officer and a professor of emergency medicine. He has been in all three roles since July 2012, according to his resume. He reports directly to the system’s chancellor and chief executive, according to an organizational chart.

Richards said he’s drawn to the job because of “unique and progressive aspects” of UAMS, such as the way it has reorganized and forged partnerships “toward patient-centered care.”

“I think it’s exactly what needs to happen in health care,” Richards said.

Turnage, 59, also serves as UAMS’ chief service line officer and is a professor in the school’s department of surgery. He arrived at the state’s medical school in 2008 after seven years at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. Turnage, one of four executive associate deans in the College of Medicine, reports to the hospital CEO and the dean of the College of Medicine.

“I think this position is a way to impact the care of really our entire community, of all the citizens in Arkansas, and leave a mark on health care in the state,” Turnage said. “I think that’s a tremendous opportunity and a tremendous responsibility.”

Turnage will interview Monday and Tuesday, and Richards will interview Wednesday and Thursday.

Townsend’s replacement will be one of two new UAMS leaders to take over in the next year. UAMS Chancellor Dr. Dan Rahn announced Monday that he would retire from the position, effective July 31, after nearly eight years at the helm.

Townsend will step down Friday to be closer to family in North Carolina, she announced in April.