Medical center names interim CEO
Efton Hall Jr. is ninth person to lead hospital in past decade
By Rebecca Vesely, STAFF WRITER, Oakland Tribune
Article Last Updated: Friday, October 10, 2003 - 6:33:18 AM PST

Trustees of the Alameda County Medical Center -- the county's public hospitals and clinics -- named Efton Hall Jr. interim CEO on Thursday, three weeks after firing CEO Kenneth Cohen.

For the past year, Hall has served as hospital administrator of inpatient and acute care services at the medical center, which includes Highland and Fairmont hospitals, John George Psychiatric Pavilion and three outpatient clinics.

"We are looking forward to working with such a capable leader, who combines a background in hospital administration with a true passion for serving the community," Ilene Weintraub, new president of the board of trustees, said in a statement. Weintraub is the former mayor of Hayward.

Hall is the ninth CEO to lead the medical center in the past decade -- and the fifth interim CEO. All four previous interim CEOs served for several months until a permanent CEO was hired.

Hall's salary will be around$220,000, a spokeswoman said.

Prior to joining the medical center, Hall led the health care division of a Berkeley-based executive recruiting firm and was executive director of the Bay Area Black Consortium for Quality Health Care in Oakland. Hall was also CEO of Los Medanos Community Hospital District in Pittsburg. He has a master's degree in public health from UC Berkeley and a bachelor's degree in sociology from Stanford University.

The county's troubled medical center is facing a deficit of about $50 million, in part due to rising numbers of uninsured and fewer reimbursements from the state and federal government. Two outpatient clinics closed in June amid budget problems.

The turmoil continued when the board of trustees reshuffled last month. Five members -- including the president -- abruptly quit, citing conflict with the county Board of Supervisors over the direction and manage-ment of the medical center. The supervisors appointed three new trustees, including Weintraub, all who have since

The trustees also named Robert Strawn as interim chief financial officer on Thursday.

Strawn most recently served as project manager for the county's audit of the medical center's finances.

He is a former president of the medical center's board of trustees, and former assistant treasurer of Ross Department Stores.

Outgoing CEO Cohen will remain on as planned for the next month or so to aid in the search for a permanent CEO to replace him, and will receive two years' severance on his $245,000 salary.

Cohen was on the job for two years and though the trustees -- many whom have since quit -- said they were satisfied with his performance, they felt he could not perform his job because of conflict with the county Board of Supervisors.

Contact Rebecca Vesely at rvesely@angnewspapers.com.