Dive Brief:
- Dr. Ronald DePinho's last day as president at MD Anderson Cancer Center is March 20, Houston Business Journal reported.
- DePinho tendered his resignation on March 8.
- An interim president is expected to be named by the end of the week.
Dive Insight:
Earlier this month, DePinho in his resignation letter acknowledged the organization had been in some fiscal dire straits. In January, the organization announced it would eliminate about 1,000 jobs, or about 5% of its workforce. At the time, DePinho stated the organization, which employs about 20,000 individuals, had been trying to improve its financial performance for months. It had reported a loss of $110 million in the last half of 2016.
The losses and ensuing job cuts were blamed on a costly electronic medical record system implementation as well as a rise in coverage denials. "I could have done a better job administratively, a better job listening, a better job communicating," DePinho wrote. "Forgive me for my short comings. I regret them, but I was, and continue, to be committed to saving lives and reduce suffering, to help MD Anderson accelerate the march towards prevention and cure, particularly for the underserved. I've done my very best."
DePinho was asked to stay on through the end of the Texas legislative session, which began on January 10 with an adjournment date of May 29, though it seems he'll be wrapping up the position before the month is over.
"As with all my decisions in my professional journey, I am placing the interests of patients and our ability to impact the cancer problem first," DePinho wrote in his March 8 public statement. "My decision will give the institution new leadership and give me a chance, in a different way, to put my passion for finding cures to this horrible disease."