Kayse Shrum (left) and Howard Barnett: Shrum will take over as president of Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences after Barnett steps down. Barnett is moving on to become CEO of the trust overseeing the OSU Medical Center. These changes are pending approval by the authority and the Oklahoma A&M Regents.
The president of the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences is stepping down to become CEO of the trust overseeing the OSU Medical Center.
Howard Barnett will remain president of OSU-Tulsa. Kayse Shrum, the current provost of OSUCHS, will become its president.
"We're not going to miss a beat," Barnett said. "We're just changing things around."
The OSU Medical Center has been in financial dire straits but has received $13 million from the state legislature this fiscal year to help keep it afloat.
As part of the agreement, the city trust that owns the hospital will become a state entity after approval by state officials.
Because the president of OSUCHS automatically serves as a member of the Oklahoma State University Medical Authority, the CEO of the authority cannot also be president of OSUCHS.
Jim Hess served as CEO of the authority until his resignation about a month ago. He remains on the faculty of OSUCHS.
The changes are pending approval by the authority and the Oklahoma A&M Regents.
The hospital is seeking to obtain stability by joining a health system soon. Talks with Mercy Health System in Oklahoma City didn't pan out, but officials hope to have an agreement in place with another system by the time the Legislature is back in session, Barnett said.
"The hospital has had a lot of money put into it, and we think it's attractive to the right partner," he said.
The emergency room and other departments were remodeled as part of a $25 million renovation completed in February 2012.
A partnership could help attract physicians and allow for the expansion of special services, he said.
In addition to being a safety net hospital, OSU Medical Center serves as the teaching hospital for the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, Shrum said, and that role is vital.
"It really just enriches the environment and makes us attractive to students," she said.
OSUCHS will continue its focus on improving primary care in rural and underserved areas of Oklahoma, she said.
"It's not going to vastly change," she said.
"We're just going to continue to expand what we've been doing."
Shannon Muchmore 918-581-8378
shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: OSU-Tulsa president to lead medical center
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