John Silva, the CEO of Hometown Health Centers, a financially troubled State Street health clinic for Schenectady’s poor and uninsured, has resigned.
Silva made his official announcement to the clinic’s board of trustees on Wednesday, July 16. The resignation will not take effect until October.
Hometown spokesman Joe Gambino said Silva had been discussing the move for weeks to seek other career opportunities.
John has been the greatest of advocates for the poor. He put his heart and soul into the building, said Gambino. `But we understand that people move on as opportunities arise.`
Hometown’s board of directors appointed Angella Timothy as interim chief executive officer.
Timothy, a registered nurse, served as the health center’s chief operating officer for nearly four years.
Board President the Rev. Michael Hogan said trustees will launch a search committee to recruit candidates for the position.
Gambino said the mission of Hometown will continue unchanged, despite recent financial struggles. Gambino said a federal consultant has been working with the center since a preliminary audit last year by the federal Bureau of Primary Health Care determined that Hometown was on the brink of a funding crisis.
Gambino said that Hometown’s financial difficulties and Silva’s departure were not related.
`The financial struggles of the center have never been kept secret,` said Gambino. `A great deal of our patients are uninsured and these issues are ongoing. They don’t have any relationship to John’s leaving.`
Gambino also said that the loss of Silva’s leadership is not an indication that Hometown will close its doors.
`We’ve been in Schenectady for 36 years and we have no plans to leave,` said Gambino. We’ve been assured by the federal government that they won’t be pulling our funding. We’re not closing ` we’re in a transition.`
The government funds about $1 million of Hometown’s $5 million annual budget.
Hogan said Silva would continue to work for Hometown for at least a month.
`We’ve been delighted with John,` said Hogan. `It’s a very very difficult position. He grew in the job, and we grew with him.`
Silva came to Hometown Health, then called Schenectady Family Health Services, from Massachusetts in 2000 as a federal consultant to help salvage operations at the center. The center at the time was losing money. Silva became executive director in 2001.
Silva, who lives in Rotterdam, is also a member of the Rotterdam Town Board who was elected to his first term last year. Silva has not resigned from the board, according to Town Clerk Eunice Esposito.
Supervisor Steven Tommasone said he did not expect Silva would be leaving his position.
Silva could not be reached for comment.“
