Van Bree to exit role as head of R.I. Hospital, Hasbro Children’s Hospital

RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL and Hasbro Children's Hospital President Margaret M. Van Bree will depart her role effective Dec. 31. / COURTESY LIFESPAN CORP.
RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL and Hasbro Children's Hospital President Margaret M. Van Bree will depart her role effective Dec. 31. / COURTESY LIFESPAN CORP.

PROVIDENCE – Margaret M. Van Bree, president of Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, will depart from her role effective Dec. 31, according to Lifespan Corp. Wednesday.

Van Bree assumed her role in early 2015, succeeding Lifespan CEO and President Dr. Timothy J. Babineau as head of both hospitals.

Lifespan did not provide reasons for Van Bree’s departure, saying it was “a personnel issue.”

Dr. John B. Murphy will serve as interim president of both hospitals following Van Bree’s departure. Murphy is currently executive vice president for physician affairs at Lifespan.

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The revelation of Van Bree’s departure comes following a report of a $23 million operating loss for the fiscal 2019 year for the hospitals’ parent organization Lifespan. The figure included a Rhode Island Hospital operating loss of $31.9 million.

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  1. Sad to hear President Van Bree is leaving her post at Hasbro and RI Hospitals. No doubt a result of the poor financial performance of the hospitals which can be traced in large part to forces beyond her control. Solutions to difficult challenges in healthcare are not readily available and present as systemic and situational. Both aspects will require rigorous analysis and applicable expertise to tease out the right combinations of solutions as there is no single change to solve this revenue/cost dilemma.

    In closing, I will share that the quality of care provided by the physicians, nurses and staff at RI Hospital is second to none. Over the past 7 days I have witnessed the amazing expertise of the Emergency Intensive Care and subsequently the Coronary Care team; their medical practice; their proactive communication to patient and family; the team dynamic across the practice were all exemplary – truly benchmark. Congratulations to President Van Bree and all of the folks at RI Hospital whose commitment to excellence across their respective disciplines provides RIers with world class care.