Brian Cherry
Little Rock
Summary
Healthcare executive with extensive experience at CHI St. Vincent Sherwood Rehabilitation Hospital, achieving a 47% improvement in patient experience through cultural transformation initiatives. Skilled in strategic planning and stakeholder engagement, effectively leveraging change management to enhance performance metrics. Proven ability to lead high-performing teams and drive organizational success.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Executive Officer
CHI St. Vincent Sherwood Rehabilitation Hospital
Sherwood
11.2021 - Current
- Company Overview: Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital (IRF) with 83 bed hospital and an annual operating budget of over $41 million.
- Led the leadership team and over 300 front-line employees to transform the hospital culture, resulting in significantly improved patient experience, quality outcomes, and financial performance.
- Transformed hospital culture, improving patient experience by 47% and achieving a Net Promoter Score of 72.8 and increasing Google review score from 2.7 to 4.1.
- Improved hospital-wide Employe Engagement Index from 75% to 85%.
- Decreased total nursing turnover from 61% to 16% and hospital-wide turnover from 41% to 20%. Also reduced nursing vacancy (from 47%) and agency nursing shifts (from 36%) by implementing strategic recruitment and retention efforts.
- Achieved a 60% reduction in patient falls, 6% reduction in patients discharging to skilled nursing facilities, 10% decrease in acute care transfers, and 12% improvement in IRF Program Evaluation Method (PEM) score.
- Led targeted recruitment strategies to eliminate contract labor in under one year and fill all nursing positions.
- Identified and executed savings opportunities resulting in $1.8 million annual savings (6.5% of total operating expense).
- Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital (IRF) with 83 bed hospital and an annual operating budget of over $41 million.
Vice President of Operations
Calvert Health
Prince Frederick
04.2019 - 11.2021
- Company Overview: Private, not-for-profit, community health system with an 80-bed hospital, a medical group with over 25 providers, and more than 1,200 employees.
- Lead a team of 255 FTEs and nine direct reports with $32M in P&L responsibility. Departments led include radiology, laboratory, cardiopulmonary services, pharmacy, inpatient therapy, plant operations, housekeeping, food/nutrition, and security/communications. Responsibilities also include three outpatient therapy clinics, a cardiac and pulmonary rehab clinic, an anticoagulation clinic, and a wound care clinic.
- Collaborate with department leaders and providers to achieve quality and financial outcomes while maintaining an engaged and productive workforce.
- Developed a joint venture partnership to build three weight management clinics.
- Headed the transition of radiologist providers, resulting in 24/7 final reads and 30% improvement in imaging turnaround times.
- Led patient satisfaction improvement initiatives leading to average 30% improve in HCAHPS scores.
- Established goals/action plans to achieve over $1.8M in operating budget financial improvement.
- Created multidisciplinary team to redevelop vascular surgery program leading to expanded service offerings and over 100% increase in volumes.
- Private, not-for-profit, community health system with an 80-bed hospital, a medical group with over 25 providers, and more than 1,200 employees.
Assistant Vice President of Patient Services, Practice Administrator
Baptist Health
Little Rock
10.2014 - 12.2018
- Company Overview: Private, not-for-profit health system with eleven hospitals and more than 11,000 employees.
- Responsible for operational and clinical outcomes of over 190+ system FTEs throughout six inpatient and outpatient departments and medical groups that included $50M of P&L responsibility. These included Internal Medicine (hospitalist), Pain Management & Rehabilitation, Palliative Care, Pulmonology and Critical Care, Transplant/VAD/Heart Failure and Anesthesia. Also served as Administrator of the Baptist Health Heart Failure and Transplant Institute. Responsibilities included budget development, coordinating marketing efforts, new provider onboarding, clinic space acquisition, and developing and achieving quality and financial outcomes.
- Created a total artificial heart program leading to the first artificial heart implant in Arkansas.
- Recruited team of providers and launched the hospitalist program at the newly opened Baptist Health Medical Center - Conway with a length of stay under the Medicare geometric mean and readmission/mortality scores in the top 10% in the nation.
- Created hospital/clinic processes to develop a post-acute, transitional heart failure clinic resulting in a readmission reduction of 17%.
- Led multiple hospitalist and internal medicine quality improvement efforts to achieve a length of stay reduction of 16%, HCAHPS Overall Hospital Rating increase of 30%, and a volume increase of 20%.
- Created and implemented a business plan to close the kidney transplant program and transition all patients and some staff to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Kidney Transplant Clinic, leading to a system savings of $1M.
- Achieved Center of Excellence status for Heart Transplants by meeting requirements for quality outcomes and volume.
- Private, not-for-profit health system with eleven hospitals and more than 11,000 employees.
Assistant Vice President, Night Administrator
Baptist Health
Little Rock
06.2013 - 09.2014
- Company Overview: Private, not-for-profit health system with eleven hospitals and more than 11,000 employees.
- Oversaw all hospital operations after regular business hours, which included managing the system's response to internal/external disasters, resolving patient complaints, and providing administrative support to physicians and clinical staff.
- Instrumental in helping save $20M as Chairman of the System Committee by successfully reducing overall expenses and streamlining operations.
- Led The Joint Commission Readiness Committee, resulting in two successful surveys.
- Private, not-for-profit health system with eleven hospitals and more than 11,000 employees.
Administrative Fellow
Baptist Health
Little Rock
06.2012 - 05.2013
- Company Overview: Private, not-for-profit health system with eleven hospitals and more than 11,000 employees.
- Tasked with leading administrative rotations through all departments of the Baptist Health hospitals, clinics, and corporate office.
- Spearheaded a multi-disciplinary team to meet Baptist Health's Meaningful Use Criteria, resulting in $3M in revenue.
- Developed a strategic business plan to build a rural health clinic.
- Private, not-for-profit health system with eleven hospitals and more than 11,000 employees.
Education
Master of Health Administration -
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, AR01.2012
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration
The University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR01.2010
Skills
- Strategic planning
- Performance metrics
- Change management
- Healthcare operations
- Stakeholder engagement
- Team leadership
Professional Community Affiliations
- American College of Healthcare Executives, Fellow (2021)
- Maryland Association of Health Care Executives Membership Committee, Member
- Maryland Association of Healthcare Executives, Member
- Alzheimer's Association National Capital Area Chapter, Member
- Alzheimer's Association Southern Maryland Planning Committee, Member
- UAMS: Masters of Health Administration Alumni Association, Member
- UAMS Master of Health Service Administration - Student Mentor Program, Mentor
- Donald W. Reynolds Governor's Cup Competition, Business plan judge
- Junior Achievement of Arkansas, Volunteer teacher for second and third-grade classes (2016/2017)
- Little Rock Chamber of Commerce: Leadership Greater Little Rock Class 30, Member
Awards
- Recipient of 2016 'Arkansas 20 in their 20s' Recognition
- Recipient of the 2012 UAMS Crystal Wilson Research Award for research in medical coding., The Transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 Coding: How Healthcare Providers Should Implement the New System
Timeline
Chief Executive Officer
CHI St. Vincent Sherwood Rehabilitation Hospital
11.2021 - Current
Vice President of Operations
Calvert Health
04.2019 - 11.2021
Assistant Vice President of Patient Services, Practice Administrator
Baptist Health
10.2014 - 12.2018
Assistant Vice President, Night Administrator
Baptist Health
06.2013 - 09.2014
Administrative Fellow
Baptist Health
06.2012 - 05.2013
Master of Health Administration -
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration
The University of Arkansas
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