Head of Central Health stepping down in planned exit

After six years as the head of Central Health, President and CEO Mike Geeslin plans to step down at year's end.

"It is time for a next phase of life," said Geeslin, 54.

When Geeslin was hired in 2017, Central Health planned on the CEO job to be a five-to seven-year posting,

"I'm a big believer in organizational planning," he said, adding that he's leaving Central Health's board of managers with a succession plan.

Under his watch, Central Health has grown in the past six years. It now has 230 employees and an annual budget of $305 million, plus about $370 million in reserves. Its 2017 fiscal year budget was for $240 million with $29 million in reserves.

Geeslin also led Central Health to start operating its own clinics to address health needs in the community. Previously, it had mainly partnered with organizations like CommUnity Care clinics, Ascension Seton hospital system and UT Health Austin, the clinical practice of Dell Medical School to provide indigent care.

"Mike has been an excellent and outstanding servant leader," said Dr. Charles Bell, the chair of Central Health's board of managers. "He has put the patients first in everything he did."

This year, Central Health has plans to open two new primary care clinics at Del Valle and Hornsby Bend. It raised $77.8 million in funds for those projects.

Central Health also has a health equity plan to expand access to health care in areas of the county where there have been health deserts.

"That work is going to continue," Geeslin said.

"He has developed a team here that is totally outstanding," Bell said. "We're appreciative of what he's left behind."

Central Health is the hospital district for Travis County and provides health care to people who make less than 200% of federal poverty level, which is $59,356 for a family of four with two children younger than 18. Central Health does this by providing its Medical Access Program and Medical Access Program Basic. It also connects people to Medicaid and Medicare as well as to its Sendero Health Plans on the health insurance marketplace.

Central Health is funded by a property tax of 9.864 cents per $100 valuation.

It also just got permission from Travis County commissioners for a $90.5 million project in Northeast Austin to renovate a complex to provide 50 respite beds after hospitalization for people experiencing homelessness. On Friday, it signed a contract on the property at 7901 Cameron Road, Buildings A, B and C.

It will spend another $9 million to renovate the Rosewood-Zaragosa clinic in East Austin to increase access to specialty care in cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, podiatry and pulmonology.

It is also planning a $16 million clinic project in Colony Park and asking that community what its needs are to tailor that clinic to the community.

Geeslin's term has not been without controversy. In 2017, Central Health was sued because of the $35 million it and Ascension Seton gave to Dell Medical School through their joint nonprofit organization, Community Care Collaborative. That lawsuit is ongoing.

This year, Central Health and Ascension Texas hospital system are suing each other over the number of indigent care cases seen at Dell Seton Medical Center, the safety-net hospital operated by Ascension Texas and the reimbursement of that care by Central Health. The hospital district is asking a judge to allow it to buy Dell Seton and operate it.

Critics from community groups including LULAC and the NAACP also have charged that Central Health doesn't do enough to help people at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

"I give space to critics to have their opinions," Geeslin said. This change in leadership has nothing to do with those lawsuits or critics, he said. "We've done an incredible amount of work in advancing the health safety net program," he said.

Those critics have led to the start of a performance audit by Mazars USA audit firm, which is expected to deliver results to the Travis County commissioners in January.

New projects: Central Health raising $100 million to fund respite care clinic, renovations amid audit

How will the CEO search be done?

The board of managers will create an ad hoc committee to plan for next steps. Bell said it's unclear if there would be an interim CEO or move to fill the job permanently. Bell said no plans have been made to use a recruiter.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Head of Central Health Mike Geeslin stepping down in planned exit