Document text
Medford Clinic CEO heads East By SUSAN JAY The chief executive of Southern Oregon's largest medical clinic is headed to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Jon Ness, who joined the Medford Clinic Aug. 24, 1995, is resigning. His last day is April 23. He has accepted a position as CEO of one of the country's largest physician clinics, Lewis-Gale in Roanoke, Va., which has 175 doctors. Ness, 43, said he is leaving for "family, career and personal reasons related to professional and personal values." The career move brings him closer to his family. "The bottom line is I'm 3,000 miles away from my two brothers (now)," he said. Medical Director Jerry Livaudais will serve as interim CEO for the clinic, Jackson County's sixth largest employer with 600 employees and 78 physicians. Under Ness' leadership, the clinic has grown to a $50 million medical business. The clinic has also forged stronger ties with hospitals, especially with Providence Medford Medical Center and its new cancer center. "We'll probably be hearing more about Jon Ness in the future," Livaudais said, "'cause he's good." Dr. Steve Schnugg, the clinic's board president, said the clinic's operational plan, developed under Ness' guidance, means the board is in no hurry to launch a search for a new CEO. "We're just really disappointed," Schnugg said. "We worked really hard to try and convince him to stay." Ness boosted employee morale and improved the clinic's relationship with the community, Schnugg said. Skip Patterson, president of the board of Asante Health System, said he credits Ness for much of the collaborative efforts between the clinic and other physicians. "I think he's been a calming influence in the turbulence of health care," Patterson said. "Our medical community will miss him," said Mike Bond, CEO of PrimeCare, a local independent physician association representing more than 300 doctors. Ness was vice president of operations at Deaconess Billings Clinic Health System in Billings, Mont., before coming to Medford. When he came here, the clinic had just undergone phenomenal growth and was wrestling with operational problems as a result. During his tenure, Ness said, "We were trying to grow to meet the needs of the patients, but we discovered that what patients really want is improved customer service, and what physicians need is greater operational support. "The key to this medical community is physician collaboration," Ness said, "and it is time for the physician leadership to step up and unify this community." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA