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The person who was recently appointed as an interim leader of Hennepin Healthcare resigned Wednesday, according to an internal email obtained by MPR News. 

appointed Dr. Kevin Croston as co-interim administrator in January

 after Hennepin Healthcare's previous interim CEO, Dr. Thomas Klemond, stepped down. 

Croston worked as a co-interim administrator along with David Hough, who is remaining in the role of administrator, according to an email sent Wednesday. 

MPR News obtained the internal email Thursday. Hough and hospital board chair Jeffrey Lunde sent the email to Hennepin healthcare employees to announce Croston’s resignation.

“Over the last three months, both Co-Administrators have worked closely with your Executive Leadership Team to stabilize finances, find operational efficiencies, and guide a strategy to support this organization’s long-term viability. This work will continue as we advocate to repurpose and expand the ballpark sales tax to sustain your work,” the email said. 

The email refers to efforts from the hospital to use sales tax money to cover health care costs, requiring legislative approval. The existing sales tax currently serves to pay off the bonds for Target Field’s construction debt, which is expected to be settled by 2027. 

Health care workers were at the Capitol Wednesday to call on elected officials to prioritize legislative solutions to protect HCMC from closing. HCMC health care workers, nurses, residents, paramedics, interpreters and frontline staff from across the Twin Cities demanded action from Minnesota policymakers to secure funding for the safety-net hospital.

They said without legislative action, HCMC will close, disproportionately affecting patients who are underinsured or uninsured. 

So far, no significant action has been taken this legislative session to address HCMC’s financial concerns.

Due to a projected $50 million budget shortfall, Hennepin Healthcare announced in January it would cut five medical programs and about 100 full-time positions and reduce its number of patient beds by 100, capping the total at 390. 

Hospital administrators have also frozen retirement contributions, eliminated over $1.2 million in travel expenses and paused $24 million in infrastructure projects.

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Dr. Kevin Croston resigned Wednesday. He was appointed to the position after the previous interim CEO stepped down in January. 

A person presses a button on a ventilator

Interim Hennepin Healthcare leader steps down

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