By:Nick Buglione
The NHCC Board of Directors and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi approved Kane's appointment last week, over a month after former president and CEO Richard Turan resigned amid controversy.
With an extensive background in hospital management, Kane contrasts starkly with Turan, who had no experience in the health-care industry and was often criticized for that.
"It was important to me that somebody was brought in because they were a professional health-care administrator," Suozzi said. "We believe we have found that with Dr. Kane."
For the past 14 years, Kane served as president and CEO of the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in New Jersey, and before that as head of tertiary hospitals in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
"I am honored to have been selected," Kane said. "The institutions that comprise the NHCC provide care to tens of thousands of residents of Nassau County each year, many of whom are economically disadvantaged and would have no place else to turn to for their health care."
A search committee sifted through about 50 resumes and interviewed eight candidates before choosing Kane. A few candidates were referred to the county executive's office so Suozzi could interview them.
Since Turan's resignation, Suozzi has made it clear that he will exert greater influence over the direction of the NHCC, the public-benefit corporation that runs the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, the A. Holly Patterson nursing home in Uniondale and seven community health clinics. A day after Turan called it quits, Suozzi appointed two members to the NHCC's 15-member board of directors and affirmed that he would have the final say over who replaces the outgoing president and CEO.
Kenneth Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospitals Association, recommended Kane for the post. Kane had contemplated retirement before learning of the opening, he said. "I've been in hospital management my entire professional life," Raske said. "Daniel Kane is one of the most outstanding administrators I have ever met."
He now faces, however, perhaps the most daunting challenge of his career. As new acting president and CEO, he must begin implementing the measures recommended in the county-commissioned study on the NHCC released earlier this year. The report called for, among other things, selling off A. Holly Patterson, moving its residents to a new facility on the Nassau University Medical Center campus and restructuring ambulatory-care services in the community health clinics.
"I do not claim to be a miracle worker, but do promise to work diligently with all of you to accomplish our shared vision and goals for the NHCC," Kane said.
The county has a huge stake in the health of the NHCC, which has lost millions of dollars each year since its creation and is in danger of running out of money by the end of this year. If it were to go under, the county would be responsible for payments on the $256 million in bonds issued to finance the NHCC's formation in 1999, which would mean staggering service cuts and tax increases.
Kane, who plans to move from New Jersey to Long Island, has signed a one-year contract with the NHCC for $325,000. He officially starts on Aug. 1, and if he performs well, he could be selected as Turan's permanent replacement.
The NHCC board of directors has no plans to search for a permanent leader just yet, said Lawrence Gottlieb, board chairman. "We're going to give this guy a chance and see how good he is," he said.
