Scott Street has resigned his position as Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Center of South Arkansas.
In an email Street sent to MCSA staff Tuesday afternoon that was provided to the News-Times, he said the decision to leave was "one of the hardest choices" he had ever made.
Included in the email was a note from Kevin Stockton, a regional president for Community Health Systems (CHS), the company that owns MCSA. Stockton wrote that Street would be taking a new role in the company in the northwest Arkansas market.
Street's resignation follows two votes of no confidence in his leadership by MCSA's general medical staff.
Several health care workers at MCSA have also spoken to the News-Times in recent weeks about problems they've seen at the hospital, including staffing issues, pay disparities and policies they said could have negatively impacted patient care, pointing to Street's leadership as the primary cause for the problems.
Street wrote that he would not be leaving the hospital immediately, in order to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
He went on to cite the COVID-19 pandemic as a challenge at MCSA, not only for medical staff but the hospital's administrative staff as well.
"The COVID pandemic has made our jobs harder. That's especially true for physicians, nurses, therapists and the rest of our patient care teams, as well as for those of you who support their work. It is also true for those of us who are trying to lead hospital operations," Street wrote.
He continued," We haven't always managed these challenges perfectly, but I want you to know that I've always tried to do what I believe is the right thing for our team, our patients and our community. I know you have, too."
Street also noted multi-million dollar renovations made at MCSA under his leadership, as well as expanded clinical services.
"I'll be honest and tell you that I'm sad about leaving our great team, but I'm also sure this is the right decision at this point in our journey. Sometimes, change is needed to move forward. That's true right now even though it means leaving a job I love and a team that I really care about," Street wrote. "But, I'm confident in MCSA's future and that good things are ahead for this wonderful hospital."
This is a developing story. The News-Times will continue to update as more information becomes available.