Dive Brief:
- Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services CEO Rulon Stacey has tendered his resignation following just 15 months on the job. A statement from Fairview cited a "combination of professional differences and personal reasons." A Fairview spokesperson told The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal that Stacey had authored a strategic plan for the organization that, while largely agreed-upon by the board, created disputes surrounding implementation.
- Stacey was hired following two tumultuous years for the non-profit, in which it was widely criticized for aggressive billing policies (via a third-party collector) and went through high-profile merger talks with Sanford Health that ultimately collapsed.
- An "office of the CEO" will lead the system until a replacement is found. The leadership group includes chair of the board David Murphy, former board chair (and former interim Fairview CEO) Chuck Mooty and Dr. Brooks Jackson, dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Dive Insight:
Fairview currently operates nine hospitals in the state of Minnesota. It is a partial owner of PreferredOne, the dominant insurer in Minnesota's exchange during the first year of operation. In September, however, PreferredOne notified the Minnesota Department of Commerce that it would be pulling out of the exchange market for 2015. The issuer had the lowest rates and the most customers on the 2014 exchange—59% of the individual market enrollees, followed by Blue Cross Blue Shield with a mere 23%.