Condell Medical Center president steps down
On the heels of a $36 million fraud settlement with federal and state authorities, the man who led Advocate Condell Medical Center out of a financial quagmire is stepping down in January.
President and CEO Dennis Millirons helped clean up the worst financial mess in the Libertyville hospital's 80-year history, sealed a $180 million merger deal with Advocate Health Care system, and oversaw the launch of several ambitious expansion projects.
Now after three years, Millirons says he's tired and needs rest.
"This has been a very difficult period dealing with the problems I have found since I came here," he said Thursday.
By late 2007, Condell was embroiled in an ugly public dispute with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, which resulted in Condell being shut out of the insurance provider's hospital network. It was resolved only after Condell's merger with Oak Brook-based Advocate.
Condell had declared its future in jeopardy after an external audit last year revealed misstated earnings and financial losses from previous years. It reported an operating loss of $10.4 million for 2006.
On Dec. 1, the hospital settled to resolve issues with false claims for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, and voluntarily disclosed suspect physicians' contracts made by a previous administration.
"At the end of the day, the problems had been fixed, and it's (the hospital) positioned to succeed in the future," Millirons said. "This has been personally challenging for me from the standpoint of my personal health and well being."
His last day is Jan. 12.
Maggi Griffin, Condell's vice president of patient care, will serve as interim campus leader, said Christine Vicik, Condell spokeswoman.
"He's (Millirons) done a lot of remarkable things here at Condell," she said. "And in the transition there is a very strong team in place to lead the organization until a replacement is found."
Millirons said he is most proud of the Condell-Advocate marriage.
Advocate has agreed to expand Condell's emergency department by adding 68 private beds to its existing 283 licensed beds, and acquire Level I trauma designation.
Millirons said he's happy to see Condell start construction on a five-story tower to house private patient rooms, a $110 million project that began Dec. 1, and complete the first phase of a $25 million emergency department expansion.
A second phase involving a pediatric emergency department is under way and will be finished in April.