BRYN MAWR, Pa., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Governors of Main Line Health has reluctantly accepted the resignation of Leland White, president and CEO of the nonprofit health system. Mr. White is stepping down for health reasons relating to his treatment and recovery from non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. His resignation is effective July 31, 2004.
“I am leaving Main Line Health at a time when the organization is as strong as it has ever been, in terms of the quality of our healthcare, our financial performance, and our commitment to the community,” Mr. White said in a memo distributed within Main Line Health. “The MLH team of employees, physicians, and volunteers is extraordinary, and it has been my privilege to be associated with you.”
“I have responded well to the treatments I have received to date and I feel fine,” Mr. White said. “I first faced this illness in 1995, successfully completed a course of treatment at that time, and enjoyed good health until last summer. In my most recent experience as a patient, I have seen first- hand the skill and compassion of the doctors, nurses, and other caregivers at Main Line Health and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. The next stage of my treatment will require several more months. I feel it is in my best interest that I focus exclusively on addressing this challenge, while giving Main Line Health the opportunity to move forward with new leadership. I am looking forward to a full recovery and intend to pursue new professional challenges in the future.”
Mr. White, 57, has been with Main Line Health for a total of 16 years, and is known in the healthcare field for his leadership and diplomacy when dealing with the diverse constituencies and complex issues involved in heading a multi-hospital health system.
He was named president and CEO of Main Line Health in July 2001. In this role, Mr. White led an organization with nearly 8,000 employees and an affiliated medical staff of 1,200 physicians. Main Line Health includes Bryn Mawr, Lankenau and Paoli Hospitals, Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital, The Home Care Network, Main Line Clinical Labs, Great Valley Health, the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, and other related healthcare entities.
Born on Long Island, NY, in 1946, Mr. White earned his bachelor of arts in English from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, in 1968. He went on to earn a master’s of public health in hospital administration from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1970.
His first healthcare job in southeastern Pennsylvania brought Mr. White to the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he advanced quickly to administrator. During his tenure there, Mr. White oversaw the completion of a major construction project, the introduction of ambulatory satellite practices and the creation of the hospital’s first primary care unit. He also served as the first chairman of the Board of the Health Partners insurance program.
In 1987, Mr. White joined Paoli Hospital as president and CEO. During Mr. White’s tenure, Paoli received several achievement awards in both patient and employee satisfaction. Mr. White helped the Hospital, a member of Main Line Health, achieve strong operating results in a time of reduced reimbursements and rising costs. Mr. White also developed several partnerships between the Hospital and local schools and businesses in an effort to improve the health status of the local community.
In 1996, Mr. White participated in the creation of the Jefferson Health System, a partnership between Main Line Health and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Simultaneously serving as the senior vice president for business and network development at Main Line Health and as the senior vice president for Jefferson Health System, Mr. White focused on strategic development of the JHS network of hospitals, ambulatory facilities, and physicians. Jefferson Health System is now the largest nonprofit health system in southeastern Pennsylvania.
After a brief period as an executive with VHA, a hospital trade association, Mr. White returned to Main Line Health as president and CEO in July 2001. He is credited with encouraging a strong focus on quality and patient safety at the hospitals, while strengthening the System’s financial results.
In the fall of 2003, Mr. White took a medical leave of absence. Since then, Main Line Health’s chief financial officer, Mike Buongiorno, has served as acting CEO, a role in which he will continue while a search is underway for a new chief executive officer. The search for a new CEO will be conducted by the Executive Committee of the Main Line Health Board of Governors, joined by physician leaders and the presidents of the System’s four hospitals.
“We are truly sorry to have Lee step down,” said Frank Slattery, chairman of the MLH Board of Governors. “He has done a fantastic job for many years at Main Line Health, and the community has benefited from his leadership of this system. Fortunately, Lee has built a strong management team for the Hospitals, and they remain in place to carry out our mission of nonprofit service to the community. We wish Lee all the best.”
Main Line Health
CONTACT: Richard Wells, Main Line Health, +1-610-526-8310, or+1-610-824-9025 - cell, or wellsr@mlhs.org
