By By BETTY MITCHELL GRAY
Staff Writer
A 30-year veteran of hospital financial operations has been named interim chief financial officer for Beaufort Regional Health Systems.
Richard A. Reif, former associate vice president and financial analyst for the Charlotte operations of Quorum Health Resources, was named to the post, BRHS announced this week.
“Dick comes highly recommended and has a wealth of experience,” said Susan Gerard, acting chief executive officer for BRHS. “We are pleased to have someone with his level of expertise to join our BRHS team.”
Reif succeeds Chris Riggs, former chief financial officer with BRHS. Riggs resigned his post effective Sept. 10 to accept a position with New Hanover Regional Health Systems as chief finance officer for Pender Memorial Hospital in Burgaw.
Gerard highlighted Reif’s “strong history in financial operations,” including service as vice president of finance, chief executive officer, controller, analyst, consultant and auditor for various health-care providers. Gerard also noted that Reif has “experience in administrative and financial leadership positions in hospital settings and with multi-entity health care organizations.”
Reif’s resume’ also cites experience in hospital mergers and acquisitions, including financial and legal due diligence, participation in negotiations and working-capital settlements for the $28 million sale of Hilton Head Hospital and associated physician clinics and the $30 million sale of Alleghany Regional Hospital in Low Moor, Va.
Reif holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Fla., and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Oklahoma State University. He also has a certificate in hospital-and-health services administration from the College of Medicine at Ohio State University.
Reif likely will be introduced to the BRHS Board of Commissioners and the Beaufort County Medical Center Board of Trustees at a meeting today.
The meeting was called by board Chairwoman Alice Mills Sadler to discuss the employee pension plan and review the BRHS chief executive officer position, according to a BRHS announcement of the meeting.
Reif’s appointment comes as BRHS prepares to evaluate four proposals from health-care providers interested in a possible merger with it.
Last week, proposals were submitted by Greenville-based University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, Community Health Systems Inc. of Brentwood, Tenn., Brim Healthcare of Brentwood, Tenn., and LHP Hospital Group of Plano, Texas.
HealthCare Appraisers Inc., the Florida-based consultant guiding the local hospital’s search for prospective partners, is expected to review and analyze the proposals and report its findings to BRHS within two weeks.