By Robin Postell

VALDOSTA, GA — Long-time Systems Project Administrator Bill Forbes was named interim CEO of SGMC last Friday, August 10, during a two-hour long closed door meeting held by South Georgia Medical Center’s governing body, the Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County.

Reasons for Forbes’ appointment were cited as his former eight-year experience heading up the Clinch County Hospital system as well as his decade-long run at SGMC.

Former CEO Ross Berry, who had only been at the helm of SGMC for 15 months, garnered criticism when he fired two popular heart surgeons, Dr. Joe Johnson and Dr. Randall Brown in July. Termination letters were sent to the popular surgeons on July 23. Members of the public, which included many of the doctors’ patients, rose in protest. Nearly 100 gathered at an early morning SGMC board meeting on Wednesday, July 25 hoping to pressure officials to divulge the reasons for the terminations.

There was no clear explanation, although a statement from Berry mentioned reporting obligations of open heart surgeries to several organizations had not been met. However, the 90-day notices given to both the doctors allowed for renegotiation of their contracts during this period, further muddying the public perception of the actual reasons for letting go of the beloved doctors.

Hospital Authority Chairman Sam Allen confirmed that the purpose of the meeting was to review a letter written from former Georgia Governor, and Berry’s attorney, Roy Barnes. Barnes nipped at the heels of the Hospital Authority in a letter which pushed it to have the meeting for discussion regarding Berry’s resignation and terms – which included three years’ worth of his base salary, a $325,000 bonus pay-out, attorney’s fees and a non-disparaging agreement – or to select an interim CEO. The letter gave the Authority until August 17 to make a decision.

Source: Thomasville Times-Enterprise