Banner Health is shuffling management again, consolidating more responsibilities with its chief operating officer and eliminating its chief administrative officer post.
The Phoenix, Ariz.-based health system said this week that COO Becky Kuhn is now in charge of all care and insurance operations, including "new ambulatory investments, our academic division and our insurance division."
The chief administrative officer post is being eliminated, with current Chief Administrative Officer Ron Bunnell filling in as chief financial officer until his planned retirement in January 2018. A national search for a permanent CFO will be conducted, Banner said.
The 28-hospital health system also is creating the position of chief strategy officer. Banner eliminated hospital president positions in February by giving several executives more than one hospital to manage.
"These actions will realign the executive leadership team in a way that better reflects our changing operations and will allow more agile decision?making in a time of rapid industry change," Banner said in its release.
Banner posted healthy operating income of $157.1 million on revenue of $7.63 billion in 2016. But income would have been far higher if not for operating losses of $153.8 million in its insurance plans and an operating loss of $88.9 million at its Tucson hospital and ambulatory operations acquired in 2015 and 2016.
In its release this week, Banner said Chuck Lehn will assume operational oversight for Banner Health Network and maintain executive oversight for the insurance division, reporting to Kuhn.
Banner's 28 hospitals and its health plans operate in seven states. Banner's CEO is Peter Fine.
In February, Banner consolidated its east and west Arizona regions into one unit. East President Todd Werner took over the entire territory and western President Rob Gould will leave the system.
Banner also appointed Debbie Flores head of both Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center and Banner Boswell Medical Center after Dave Cheney left Banner Boswell in January to become CEO of Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento, Calif.
