UMC executive Barnard named hospital’s interim chief

University Medical Center Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Barnard was tapped Tuesday to fill in as the interim chief executive officer at the public hospital.

Clark County commissioners unanimously appointed Barnard to replace outgoing CEO Brian Brannman, who has resigned for a vice president job with Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican, which has three area hospitals.

Barnard started at UMC in August 2012.

Whether he becomes the permanent chief executive officer will be up to a new separate board that oversees UMC. That board starts meeting later this month and its duties include hiring the hospital’s chief executive officer. Those board has other duties such as setting hospital policies and approving contracts and expenditures.

“We are pretty much just making an appointment,” said Commissioner Lawrence Weekly, chairman when commissioners act as the UMC Board of Trustees. “This will move forward to the new governing board.”

Barnard will continue to do his duties as the chief operating officer at UMC. Brannman’s last day is expected to be Friday.

The new eight-member governing board will have its first meeting on Jan. 29.

Because the new board hasn’t started meeting yet, it’s unknown what timeline it will choose for making a decision about a permanent chief executive officer for UMC.

If the board hires Barnard, that would fall in line with his predecessor’s path to the head post. Brannman was chief operating officer at UMC prior prior to becoming its CEO in July 2011.

After the vote, Barnard thanked commissioners in a brief statement said, “We’ll continue to move UMC forward.”

Barnard received praise from UMC employees. Jerri Strasser, the chief nursing steward at the hospital for the Service Employees International Union Local 1107, said Barnard is a straight shooter.

“We’ve had some straight talk from Larry,” she said.

Contact reporter Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-405-9781. Follow him on Twitter @BenBotkin1.