Grady chief executive steps down

<p>Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, considered an emerging national leader in health care, has announced he is resigning his post as chief executive of Atlanta's Grady Health System.</p><p>Agwunobi, 40, said he is taking a job as chief operating officer for St. Joseph Health System, an Orange, Calif.-based organization that operates 14 hospitals.</p><p>Agwunobi decided the timing is right for him to leave Grady, said Kirk Wilks, Grady's vice president for public affairs.</p><p>The hospital system is about to begin a three- to- five-year phase of implementing a new strategic plan, and Agwunobi said it would be appropriate for a new chief executive to be at the helm through the entire phase, Wilks said.</p><p>Agwunobi will serve through the end of the year.</p><p>'Dr. Andy,' as he is commonly known, was hired in 2003 to head Grady, one of the largest public hospital systems in the Southeast. Its flagship facility, Grady Memorial Hospital, is considered Atlanta's primary trauma center and safety net hospital.</p><p>The system has been losing money for years. The finances improved somewhat under Agwunobi, but it's still expected to lose between $9 million and $10 million this year.</p><p>Agwunobi's salary is $380,000.</p><p>____</p><p>On the Net:</p><p>HASH(0x1cdbbe0)</p>

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