Long Beach Memorial CEO retires after vote of no confidence
Former CEO Blair Kent had been on paid personal leave for two months as the hospital faced down a strike and numerous rounds of layoffs, including the most recent last week.
Blair Kent, CEO of MemorialCare’s Long Beach campus, announced his retirement after months on paid personal leave.
In an internal memo sent out Monday morning and obtained by the Watchdog, MemorialCare Health System President David Kim informed staff of Kent’s departure from the campus.
“Processes are underway to identify qualified candidates and recruit a permanent CEO,” Kim wrote, adding that interim CEO Frank Beirne will continue in the role.
Kent assumed the position in January 2023 after longtime CEO John Bishop unexpectedly resigned in July 2022.
Kent had been on paid personal leave since April 1 after a vote of no confidence from staff members. The hospital declined to comment, saying it does not discuss “internal personnel (staff) matters out of respect for the privacy of the individuals.”
In an email, Kent told the Watchdog that the "unexpected and tragic" death of his son during his leave of absence is the reason for his retirement.
The vote of no confidence by staff came after the firing of Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Chief Executive Yair Katz. Staff calls for Kent to reverse his decisions regarding the termination were ignored, which resulted in the vote.
Katz, for his part, told the Watchdog he was fired without cause. His final day was Feb. 5.
The leadership shakeup began late last year when Chief Operating Officer Todd Blake resigned to take a president position at another hospital, according to an internal memo shared with the Watchdog by Blake.
Kent’s announcement comes amid turmoil at the hospital as a result of an alleged $40 million budgetary shortfall. In April, 60 workers were notified that they were being laid off, followed by another 115 workers last month.
Some of those laid off were nurses but the hospital did not respond to questions regarding what other types of positions were affected.
The hospital also has shuttered numerous departments, including the blood donor center last month and the Children’s Village outpatient pharmacy in April. Another outpatient pharmacy on the campus was shuttered in February of last year, a closure that happened as 72 people were laid off.
The latest round of layoffs occurred Friday, May 30, when 20-27 non-registered nurse case managers were unexpectedly terminated and escorted out of the building, according to multiple sources.
“Some have been the backbone of discharge planning for years,” said one doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity.
A hospital spokesperson confirmed the layoffs but did not give an exact number for how many case managers were affected.
“The hospitals are implementing operational and workflow changes to align with industry best practices and to enhance productivity and efficiency,” hospital spokesperson Richele Steele said Monday. “The impact within the Case Management department was a result of our continued productivity and performance improvement work.”
The department, Steele said, has been restructured so that all case managers are licensed registered nurses. It’s unclear if more RN case managers will be hired.
Some of the nurses caught up in earlier layoffs worked at the Children’s Village, which now has listings online for “per diem” RNs. A per diem RN is not a part- or full-time position, but rather works on an as-needed basis.
While per diem RNs are typically paid a higher hourly wage, they do not get benefits like other staff nurses do. Based on recent actions taken by the hospital leadership, some staff are speculating that one of the hospital’s cost-savings methods is to avoid paying for benefits.
In addition to the continuous layoffs, the hospital is in the midst of contentious contract negotiations with the California Nurses Association, which represents more than 2,100 of nurses at the Long Beach campus. After just over a dozen bargaining sessions, negotiations broke down last month resulting in the hospital’s first nurses strike in 15 years.
The one-day strike was followed by a four-day lockout by the hospital for all nurses who participated.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for June 26, according to a union representative. Rumors are already circulating that another strike could to be held in early July but the union declined to confirm any plans it may have.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the type of leave Kent was on as well as to include additional information regarding his decision to retire.
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