Hospital privatisation operators Vitals announces management structure

Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) - the new private operator of the St Luke’s, Gozo and Karin Grech hospitals – has announced the appointment of its senior management team.

The team will be led by chief executive officer Armin Ernst. Eric Buehrens will be taking on the role of chief operating officer and Mark Lisher joins as chief financial officer, the company has said. Moreover, it said that Nadine Delicata and Stephen Zammit will remain CEOs of Gozo General Hospital and Rehabilitation Hospital Karin Grech respectively.

The team also includes Micky Singh in the role of chief information officer, Mina Popova as head of quality and risk, John Bezzina as head of human resources and Alessandra Pace as head of communications and marketing.

VGH said that CEO Armin Ernst, who will be leading the team, is a “Harvard-trained and globally-renowned” pulmonologist with seven textbooks and over 200 manuscripts to his credit.

The group said that before joining VGH, Ernst held clinical and administrative leadership roles in major academic medical centres, large integrated hospital based systems, and ambulatory care settings in the United States.

“Our aim is to deliver comprehensive, high quality services to communities in Malta and Gozo, with excellence, compassion and competence. We do not believe in one for all plans, yet believe health care should be personal, innovative and patient – centered,” said Ernst

Prior to joining VGH, Buehrens had previously served as deputy provost for administration at Harvard Medical School, Buehrens took on several leadership roles at a major Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and within other healthcare systems, the company said.

Lisher is a highly experienced finance professional with over 25 years’ experience, who has occupied a number of director and CFO positions in contracting, program management and finance in various sectors, VGH said, adding that he has worked in healthcare environments for the last 14 years in a variety of positions within the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom.

"I am confident that together with my team, we can see our vision through in a way that adds value to Malta and Gozo. The medical industry in Malta is blessed with many dedicated professionals and we are lucky to have them on-board as part of the team. I am looking forward to creating an environment where employees can thrive and grow further, and where patients can receive the highest levels of care possible,” said Ernst