UMC CEO Jim Valenti leaves door open to staying; Children’s board application goes public

University Medical Center’s CEO Jim Valenti said he was stepping down next May. But a now there’s a renewed effort to keep him in El Paso and he may be open to the idea.

Tuesday afternoon, a number of doctors spoke before the UMC board in support of Valenti. This comes after the “Viva Valenti” campaign put out newspaper and radio ads that called for keeping the CEO in October.

Dr. Hani Annabi began speaking before the UMC board by sharing the details of a conversation between CEO Jim Valenti and himself.

“He’d be willing to stay if members of the medical staff and the board of directors were to ask him to stay,” Annabi said.

Other doctors said they had been at UMC for decades, and only in the last 10 years, under Valenti’s watch, had UMC reached this level of success.

“Today we are a medical center, we are a university hospital, equipped with the latest technology, and the best specialists you can get anywhere. And that’s Valenti,” Annabi said.

Valenti responded, saying he was humbled, thankful, has spent of third of his career at UMC and wants to see the momentum and growth going. But he fell short of saying he was still interested in the job.

“Well I’d say there are no absolutes,” said UMC Spokesman Ryan Mielke. “And if he decided and the board decided it was in the best interest of UMC, of course, I think that’s something he might want.”

County Commissioners alluded to Valenti being pushed out as apart of the UMC-Children’s deal. Annabi, and about a hundred other UMC and Texas Tech doctors find that to be ridiculous.

“The ultimate responsibility is on the board of directors, not on doctors of other hospitals, not even the Commissioners Court of El Paso have that right,” Annabi said. “If we embark on a search for another CEO, who they think might be better or more capable, we are destined to go back to 15 years ago.”

UMC’s board is moving ahead with finding a new CEO, naming the transition board that will oversee the process, including finding a CEO for Children’s. It includes Steve DeGroat, Jim Volk, Tracy Yellen, Dr. Rick Lange, Eddie Sosa and Janie Harris.

The results of Valenti’s evaluation were not released.

Also at the meeting tonight, the UMC board named those who will be in charge of nominating the new El Paso Children’s Hospital Board. They include – Tracy Yellen, Jim Volk and Brother Nick Gonzalez. UMC will appoint four members to the new Children’s Board. The new board will begin working January 2016.

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