乌鸦传媒

A surgeon and a hospital system executive stepped down from a Tennessee hospital last week after the executive -- not a licensed physician -- participated in a patient's surgery, according to statements issued by both the CEO and the hospital system.

Greg Neal, MBA, was CEO of near the Virginia border when he was invited to observe a live surgery last week, according to his statement. A surgeon then asked Neal if he wanted to make the initial incision, which he did.

"I regret I did so," Neal .

that the surgeon, who was not named, had also left the hospital's employ.

, which owns Bristol Regional, asked Neal to resign after Ballad executives were notified of Neal's actions via a compliance hotline.

"We applaud the team member who used the Ballad Health Compliance process to report the issue. This underscores the importance of our compliance program, and makes clear that all team members, including senior leaders, are expected to comply with our policies designed to protect patients," according to the . "When it comes to an environment of patient safety, there cannot be exceptions, regardless of whether you are the Chairman of the Board or a newly hired team member."

"While there was no harm to the patient, my involvement was a clear violation of Ballad Health policy," Neal acknowledged in his statement. "I fell short of meeting the expectations reasonably expected of me."

He added: "I accept accountability and believe this is the right thing for Ballad Health's patients, its team members and for the community."

Neal, who also was Ballad's Northeast (Tennessee) market president, worked for the Ballad system for nearly 30 years, he said. His shows that he had served as market president since February 2018 and Bristol Regional's leader since May 2013. Prior to that he was an executive or director with Wellmont Health System dating to 1996. He earned an MBA and MSHA in healthcare administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1991.

Neal's presence on Ballad's and Bristol's leadership web pages had been scrubbed as of Wednesday.

Chad Couch, MD, is the new interim CEO, according to ; Couch is also Bristol Regional's chief medical officer.

Bristol Regional counts more than 270 physicians and some 1,615 other healthcare workers, according to its website.

Ballad declined to answer questions, sending the statement instead. Neal could not be reached for comment.

Marian Hollingsworth, who co-founded the , told 乌鸦传媒 that she was shocked that nobody in the operating room stopped the CEO in the moment. Somebody on the surgical team should have, she said.

"It's just a terrible patient safety violation," Hollingsworth said. "It's alarming on so many different levels."

Hollingsworth credited Ballad for swiftly removing the surgeon and CEO. This violation demonstrated why patients should always ask who will be involved in their surgeries, she said, adding: "You have every right to know."

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