Erlanger Medical Center has lost millions of dollars in 2012.
So who can help steer the hospital in the right direction?
The Erlanger Board has not decided whether to hire the next hospital leader from a list of candidates, or hire from within.
A search committee has been working for almost a year to find the next CEO of Erlanger Medical Center.
Interim CEO Charlsetta Woodard-Thompson is drawing high praise from staff and board members for her work, but a search committee brought in a list of three people to the Thursday night board meeting. She was not on it.
WARREN LOGAN, URBAN LEAGUE OF CHATTANOOGA "It was revealed that she was not part of the finalist that were going to be recommended to the board. Then the question was whether she met the criteria..and the indication was that she had met the criteria."
Top medical staff supported Woodard-Thompson and urged the board to consider her. .
WARREN LOGAN "They were going in the right direction..as such and was going in the direction it needed to go it..so why change horses right now, for lack of a better word."
Irvin Overton, a strong supporter of Ms. Woodard-Thompson, was interim CEO at Erlanger in 2003, who was not selected for the top job.
IRVIN OVERTON, FORMER ERLANGER EXECUTIVE "History is history. And, so the circumstances are similar. You have a highly qualified, experienced executive that's local..from Chattanooga..that wanted to be considered to be president and CEO..that's the same situation as when I was there over a number of years."
Overton sued and was awarded 800-thousand dollars.
IRVIN OVERTON "This community has traditionally...traditionally..not treated African American executives very well in terms of their tenure."
Late today, board chairman Ron Loving issued a statement on the CEO search. He said: "The Board of Trustees should complete the search process by the end of the next quarter, concluding with a vote in a public meeting appointing the CEO."
Her supporters say that Charlsetta Woodward-Thompson has trimmed 10-million dollars from the pay-roll and cut the deficit in-half, to 9 and a half million dollars.
