FORT WAYNE — Long-time Lutheran Hospital and Lutheran Network board member Chuck Surack has resigned from both advisory boards.

Surack, CEO and president of Sweetwater says he’s not happy with the moves the parent company, Community Health Systems, is making.

In a resignation letter Surack sent to CHS and fellow board members, a letter he told us was leaked, Surack expressed his unhappiness with the current tensions between Lutheran and it’s parent company.

“I felt my input wasn’t being valued anymore. I’ve been on the board for about ten years, and I have all the respect in the world for the doctors, nurses, medical staff that’s there, all the staff”, Chuck Surack told Fort Wayne’s NBC News, “Just amazing people doing great care, but lately there have been decisions made by the parent company, CHS, and frankly they’ve let some great, great people go. And, I just don’t align with that.”

Surack told us he realizes that it’s CHS company, and in his words, “they’re welcome to run it however they want”.

The first straw for Surack was when former Lutheran Health Network CEO, Brian Bauer, was fired.

Surack even said he would have stayed on the board if that were the “only move” by CHS.

But then, they let go of other people, including Dr. Geoff Randolph, someone Surack praised.

He told us it’s been a big benefit to Fort Wayne to have two strong hospital systems in the community.

“I don’t wish ill will to CHS. I hope they find a way to get through this, but from my point-of-view, it’s not the direction I would run my company, and that’s all I can say”, Surack explained, “I resigned not to hurt them. It was a hard decision because I didn’t want to hurt the doctors and the nurses and the other people who were there, but I felt also by staying, I was condoning or suggesting that I approve.”

Surack says he doesn’t know how long this process will play out, though he did say he’s making himself available to the people at Lutheran if they should need him.

Source: WPTA