PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - February 9, 1999 - Barry A. Wolfman, a seasoned health care executive and a successful manager of integrated hospital systems, has been named to lead the Philadelphia-area hospitals of Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC), effective immediately.
Wolfman, 42, will report to W. Randolph Smith, executive vice president of Tenet's Central-Northeast Division.
A Tenet executive for 17 years, Wolfman has been senior vice president, operations, for Tenet's Quad Counties Market in Southern California since 1995. In that position, he has successfully managed a diverse group of 11 hospitals that serve a large metropolitan area and has integrated several acquired hospitals into the Tenet system.
For Wolfman, the appointment as senior vice president, operations, of Tenet's Pennsylvania region will represent a return to the Northeast, where he was born and educated; he is a native of the Queens borough of New York City. He and his family are expected to relocate their residence to Philadelphia in the next few months.
"Barry Wolfman is a skilled hospital operator who has successfully managed a portfolio of very different hospitals serving a broad spectrum of people in a highly competitive market," said Smith. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this important position in the large and competitive Philadelphia health care market."
Wolfman succeeds Lee Domanico, who is transferring back to California to assume a new executive position within Tenet.
"I look forward to the challenges ahead as we continue to build this vital hospital network, which includes some of the most venerable names in Philadelphia health care," Wolfman said. "We have a lot of work to do, but I'm excited by the prospect of making Tenet the provider of choice for patients, doctors and insurers in Philadelphia."
In November 1998, Tenet acquired eight bankrupt hospitals in the Philadelphia area from the Allegheny Health Education and Research Foundation. At that time, the hospitals were losing millions each month and were in danger of shutting down. In the intervening 15 months, the hospitals' financial situation has stabilized, new customer service programs have been established and Tenet has made significant progress in rebuilding the confidence of patients and physicians.
Before assuming the top position in Tenet's Quad Counties Market, Wolfman held a series of executive positions within Tenet and its predecessor company. They included more than seven years as chief executive officer of two Tenet hospitals - John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio, Calif., and Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton, Calif.
Wolfman began his hospital management career at Vanderbilt University Children's Hospital in Nashville, Tenn.
He holds a master's degree in health service administration from The George Washington University and a bachelor of science degree in management from the State University of New York in Buffalo. He serves on the board of governors of the Federation of American Health Systems and on the board of directors of the California Healthcare Assn.
Tenet's Philadelphia-area hospitals are: Hahnemann University Hospital, 618 beds; Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital, 465 beds; Graduate Hospital, 330 beds; City Avenue Hospital, 228 beds; Parkview Hospital, 200 beds; Elkins Park Hospital, 280 beds; Warminister Hospital, 180 beds; and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, 183 beds. Tenet Healthcare, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates 113 acute care hospitals with 27,707 beds and numerous related health care services. The company employs approximately 118,100 people serving communities in 17 states and services its hospitals from a Dallas-based operations center. Tenet's name reflects its core business philosophy: the importance of shared values among partners - including employees, physicians, insurers and communities - in providing a full spectrum of health care. Tenet can be found on the World Wide Web at www.tenethealth.com.
Certain statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements. They are based on management's current expectations and could be affected by numerous factors and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Certain of those risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Do not rely on any forward-looking statement, as we cannot predict or control many of the factors that ultimately may affect our ability to achieve the results estimated. We make no promise to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or otherwise.
For more information, contact: harry.anderson@tenethealth.com