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For information:
Robin B. Goldsmith
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Mike Bardin
(6t9) 4s7-6893
For ImmediateRelease
# 05t093
Charles C. Edwards, M.D., AnnouncesRetirement as Presidentof Scripps
Institutions of Medicine and Science
La Jolla, CA. May 10, 1993-- After more than fifteen yearsas Presidentand Chief
ExecutiveOfficer of ScrippsClinic and ResearchFoundation(SCRF)and having
presidedover the consolidationof the organizationwith ScrippsMemorial Hospitals
(SMH) as Presidentand CEO of ScrippsInstitutionsof Medicineand Science(SIMS),
creatingone of the largesthealth-science
complexesin the United States,CharlesC.
Edwards,M.D., announcedhis scheduledretirementlast week to the SIMS Board of
Trustees.It is effectiveas of June30. 1993.
In making the announcement,
William Nelson,Chairmanof the Board, remarked,"We
debt of gratitudeto Dr. Edwardsfor his leadership,vision,
owe an immeasurable
wisdom and guidancefor thesemany years.He is a leaderin the truestsenseof the
word with an uncannyability to anticipatetrends,seizeopportunities,motivatehis
constituencies
and inspire all thosewho havehad the pleasureof working with him. His
indelible mark has been left on the institutionsthat he carefully shapedand molded
during his tenure."
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Charles C. Edwards, M.D., AnnouncesRetirement
Edwardsassumedthe top leadershippositionat ScrippsClinic and ResearchFoundation
in t977, immediatelyfollowing the institution'smove to the main campuson Torrey
PinesMesa. Under his guidancethe organizationgrew rapidly in sizeand stature,by
incorporatingnew staff, programsand facilities. His philosophyof healthcaredelivery
emphasizedhighly efficient, costeffective,quality medicalservicesin an outpatient
setting. The constructionof a large ambulatoryfacility in La Jolla, as well as a network
of smaller, strategicallylocatedregionalfacilitiesthroughoutthe SanDiego County were
testimony to that philosophy. The developmentof a comprehensiveDepartrnentof
Surgery,as well as multidisciplinaryclinical Centersof Excellencewere his
contributionsto a fully integrated,well roundedcomplementof health care services
accessiblethroughoutthe County.
At the sametime, The ScrippsResearchInstitute (TSRI) becamethe largestprivate
biomedical researchorganizationin the country. The researchstaff has extendedits
areasof scientific inquiry beyondits beginningsin the field of immunology and
continuesto conduct its work at the cutting edgeof science. According to Dr. Richard
A. Lrrner, TSRI President,"It is very unusualthat a group of researchscientistswould
be so fond of any boss, but the fact is we have nothing but admiration for Charlie
Edwards'leadership.
"
Citing the needto consolidateservices,conserveresources,and provide increased
accessibilityof healthcare servicesthroughoutthe county, Edwards'efforts, along with
thoseof the Boardsof Trusteesof SCRFand SMH resultedin the mergerof the two
organizationsand the creationof ScrippsInstitutions of Medicine and Sciencein January,
I99L. It is today one of the largestemployersin SanDiego County, with more than
8,000 employeesand combinedrevenuesof $775million.
Until his resignation,he
servedas Presidentand Chief ExecutiveOfficer of SIMS and its healthcare subsidiary,
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Page3 -- Charles C. Edwards, M.D., AnnouncesRetirement
ScrippsHealth.Under this arrangement,AmesEarly, former Presidentof Scripps
Memorial HospitalsCorporation,becameSIMS' ExecutiveVice Presidentand Chief
OperatingOfficer, a post he currentlyholds.
Frank Mahoney, the Chairmanof the Board of Trusteesof ScrippsHealthnoted
Edwards'pivotal role in uniting the two organizations."Merging large, complex
organizationsis no small task," he said. "And when you considerthe currentclimate of
the healthcare industry, it becomesevenmore daunting. Dr. Edwards'ability to inspire
confidence,his style of forging partnerships,and his unique perspectivein the national
arenahave made it possibleto reunite our organization. We are all the better for it. "
Plans for Edwards' successionhave beenformulatedand are being implementedby the
SIMS Board of Trustees. A searchcommittee,composedof membersof the Board of
Trustees,physicians,researchscientists,and other membersof the communitytogether
with a professionalconsultant,has beenfonircd to mount a nationwide searchfor a
successor,commencingimmediately. Early hasannouncedhis decisionnot to becomea
candidatefor the positionof chief executive. He will remainin his currentposition.
In additionto his role at Scripps,Edwardsmaintaineda visible profile in the national
healthcare arena. In 1990,he chairedthe Advisory Committeeto the Secretaryof
Health and Human Serviceson the Food and Drug Administration. Also he was a
memberof the Advisory Panelon GovernmentPoliciesand Pharmaceutical
R&D: Office
of TechnologyAssessment,
U.S. Congress;a memberof the Secretary'sCouncil on
Health Promotionand DiseasePrevention;a memberof the Nationallradership
Commissionon Health Care; and a consultantto the GeneralAccounting Office, Health
Advisory Committee. Locally, he has servedon the Boardof Directorsof the San
Diego Chamberof Commerce,the SanDiego Symphonyand is a memberof the
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Page4 -- Charles C. Edwards, M.D., AnnouncesRetirement
Mayor's Businessand EconomicDevelopmentCounciland Chairmanof its Health Care
Industry Committee.
Before his appointmentat Scripps,Edwardsservedas AssistantSecretaryfor Health in
the U.S. Departmentof Health, Educationand Welfarefrom 1973-1975and as
Commissionerof the Food and Drug Administrationfrom 1969-1,973.
From 1975-L98I,he was SeniorVice Presidentand Director of Becton,Dickinsonand
positionswith the AmericanMedical Association;
Company;he hasheld management
servedas Vice Presidentof Booz, Allen and Hamilton, one of the leadingmanagement
consulting firms in the country; was a memberof the Board of Regentsof the National
Library of Medicine; was on the Boardof Directorsof the Associationfor Biomedical
Research;was a trusteeof the Food and Drug Law Institute;and servedas chairmanof
the Committeeon Technologyand InternationalEconomicand TradeIssues,National
ResearchCouncil.
In addition, from tg73-1g74.he was Chief U.S. Delegateto the World Health
Organization;from 1975-1980he was Presidentof the NationalHealth Council and
servedon the Board of Directorsof the World RehabilitationFund. Inc.
Edwardsis or hasbeena directorof severalcorporations:BergenBrunswigCorporation,
Nova Pharmaceutical
Corporation,BiomagneticTechnologies,Inc., Chemex
Pharmaceuticals,
AmericanMedCenters,Inc., Medlmmune,Inc., and Molecular
Biosystems,Inc., HospitalCorporationof America, and HuntingdonResearchCenter,
Cambridge,England.
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Charles C. Edwards, M.D., AnnouncesRetirement
He is a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery; a fellow of the American Coltege
of Surgeons;a memberof the Instinrte of Medicine, National Academyof Sciences;a
fellow of the AmericanCollegeof PhysicianExecutives,and a memberof the American
Medical Association. Edwardsreceivedhis medicaldegreefrom University of Colorado
and his master's of surgerydegreefrom the University of Minnesota,while serving a
surgical fellowship at the Mayo Foundation
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