Bruce: Son's impending surgery spurred resignation

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Bill and Bette Bruce, shown during the Hospital Ball earlier this year, decided jointly that supporting their son and grandson needed to take priority over Bill's position and CEO and president of Morris Hospital. Bill resigned his position Friday, after less than seven months in the job. (Herald file photo)

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There’s nothing to hide, Morris Hospital's former president and CEO Bill Bruce says of his unexpected resignation Friday evening.

“There’s nothing to dig up here,” he said Monday, in a one-on-one interview with the Morris Daily Herald.

“I know the newspaper listed personal reasons, and there’s no huge secret behind that that we’re hiding. Our son is a single dad, and he has to have very significant cardiovascular surgery this coming Friday, which involves a mechanical heart valve. He’ll be in surgery about 12 hours.”

With that kind of procedure, significant recovery time is involved, Bruce noted.

“Bette (Bruce, his wife) and I really searched our faith and our hearts, and we really feel like we need to provide family support,” he added. “We’re being pretty open about that.”

The son is 30 years old. The surgery will take place at the University of Wisconsin in Madison on Friday, Nov. 20.

Bruce said he was unaware of the rumors circulating about his departure after his having served just under seven months as the head official at Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers.

“I can certainly say I’m proud to have had in my background a relationship with Morris Hospital,” he said. “Morris Hospital has great quality of care, a great medical staff. During my time here, Morris Hospital was recognized as No. 1 in the state of Illinois in regards to consumer confidence.”

Bruce believes everything done at the facility shows and proves this confidence, and that Morris Hospital deeply cares about services to the community.

He cited opening the new family health care center in Channahon, a state-of-the-art facility offering immediate and family care, imaging, and radiology, with better service yet to come.

Extending care out to the entire region through a strong network of family health care centers is another token of the hospital’s services to the region, Bruce said.

“I don’t think there’s anything to be ashamed of at Morris Hospital,” he said. “Certainly, Morris Hospital represents the highest ethics in business standards, and I have nothing to look back on to see anything that happened that was in any way other than the best concern for the community.”

Bruce indicated his resignation from the facility, rather than taking an extended leave of absence, was the best thing for him to do in the situation.

“We really focused on our faith and our family, and worked on this decision process at home, and we really feel like this is the best thing,” he said.

Bruce also commented on his leaving being unexpected.

“I would say that of anything that would happen in the time frame it’s happened in – hospitals tend to be with us for hundreds of years,” he said. “When you consider our decision process took a framework of perhaps just several weeks, compared to hundreds of years hospitals are here, that’s a very short time frame, isn’t it?”

Morris Hospital has a heritage that dates back to 1906.

Bruce said his letter of resignation Friday was included in the press release to the public, but would not say whether it was word-for-word.

“It’s simple, but nothing in it,” he said. “It is public in the press release. It’s not a matter of public or non-public. We publicly issued a press release.”

Janet Long, public relations manger for the hospital, indicated Morris Hospital, like other corporations and businesses, does not put personal letters of resignation before the public.

Bruce noted he was not quoted in the press release with having made any statements.

“I’m certain that was inadvertent, and not intended in any way to raise any kind of ire,” he said. “It’s just a press release.”

His next move is to take care of his family, Bruce noted.

“My son is scheduled for surgery on Friday, and I really need to tell you that our most important focus right now is our son, our grandson, and our family members.”

In conclusion, Bruce said he has appreciated the friendship, fellowship, and support of the people of this region.

“I think that Morris Hospital and the community are a blessing for each other,” he said.

Long said there will be another president and CEO of the facility, but did not have a time frame.

“I think it’s too soon,” she said. “The board is going to have to make decisions on how they want to approach it, but certainly at some point there will need to be a new CEO, absolutely.”

Bruce was selected as the new president and CEO by the hospital board in January. He officially began his duties on April 27 of this year, and served about 6 1/2 months.

He came to Morris Hospital from St. Joseph’s Community Health Services in Hillsboro, Wis., where he was CEO since 1999.

Morris Hospital Board Chairman Leon Residori said on Jan. 21 that Bruce was a veteran hospital leader with extensive experience in both the medicine and management sides of health care.

Residori also said Bruce understood the critically important role of a hospital in a community.

“And that it takes collaboration between the physicians, hospital leadership, board of directors and community in order for a hospital to be successful,” Residori said then.

“His vast knowledge of health care operations, strong leadership abilities, and open and personable communication style make him the ideal person to lead Morris Hospital into the future.”

Bruce succeeded Clifford Corbett, who announced his retirement in August 2008, following 15 years as president and CEO of Morris Hospital.

 

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