Immediate

Parkland names Senior Vice President of Finance

Frank E. Hemeon has joined Parkland Health & Hospital System as senior vice president of finance and deputy chief financial officer. He will support the executive vice president and chief financial officer and other members of the executive team as they oversee the finance and accounting of the hospital system. His responsibilities include debt financing for the new hospital building program, government reimbursement, implementation of major new accounting and finance systems, budget review and efficiency and cost saving projects. His areas of responsibility include Parkland as well as Parkland Community Health Plan and Parkland Foundation. "The size of this organization and the extent of change over a relatively short timeframe to benefit the community represent a once in a lifetime opportunity. Parkland is a mission-driven organization which I value and respect," said Hemeon. Hemeon brings 30 years of accounting and finance expertise, including experience with a public hospital and hospital building programs. Most recently, he served as treasurer at Whidbey General Hospital, the hospital district in Coupeville, Wash. Prior to that, he served as chief financial officer of Kaiser Permanente in Portland, Oreg., an integrated system providing both health care and health care insurance. He developed the capital plan for a $1.7 billion facility expansion program that included a new community hospital and major expansion of a second hospital, multiple specialty, primary care and dental clinics and a comprehensive cancer center. "Frank Hemeon worked on the programmatic and financing plan for a significant building program. This will be critical knowledge for Parkland as we work toward the financing of our own building program and a tax-exempt bond issue later this year," said John F. Dragovits, executive vice president and chief financial officer. "Frank offers a broad range of skills and experiences that are a great match to our current and future needs." Hemeon's career also includes positions at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Wash., Westchester Network Inc. in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., United Hospital in Port Chester, N.Y. and Charlton Hospital in Fall River, Mass. Prior to those positions, Hemeon worked for a combined 10 years with Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers as an auditor and directed health care consulting services in the Northeast and around the country. Hemeon is a certified public accountant. He earned a bachelor's degree from Stonehill College in North Easton, Mass. He earned a master of business administration in health care finance and a BAS in accounting from Boston University. Hemeon is a former lecturer on hospital-physician business development. He has been published in Aspen Publications regarding cost accounting and information systems and their relation to productivity. In 1996, Hemeon was given the Follmer Bronze Award from the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

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For Further Information Contact: Melissa Grych 214.590.8054