The president and CEO of a Minnesota health system embroiled in a billing controversy is retiring in July. The board of directors of Fairview Health Services decided during a special meeting on May 23 not to renew Mark Eustis’ five-year contract, which expires July 31, 2012.
A statement released by Fairview about the board’s decision makes no mention of the recent blow up regarding Accretive Health, the health system’s former consulting firm whose billing and collections tactics were the focus of a compliance review by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office released in April.
In that report, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson claimed that Fairview and Accretive engaged in heavy-handed billing and collection techniques that included debt collectors hounding patients for money while they were in the emergency room or other hospital departments. Accretive has denounced the claims but Fairview terminated its contracts with the company.
Eustis, who joined Fairview in 2007, had known connections to Accretive Health, including that his son was employed by the company.
Fairview did not respond to a request for comment from Healthcare Finance News but told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that Eustis was not being forced out over the Accretive Health situation.
Fairview’s board chair, Chuck Mooty, will serve as interim CEO while the organization searches for a replacement. Mooty will begin his interim position on Aug. 1.