Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman is Out, Replaced by Paul Black

Chicago-based Allscripts announced late Wednesday that CEO Glen Tullman has stepped down and will be replaced by Paul Black, a current Allscripts board member and former COO at Allscripts rival Cerner Corp.


Chicago-based EHR vendor Allscripts announced late Wednesday that CEO Glen Tullman has stepped down and will be replaced by Paul Black, a current Allscripts board member and former COO at Allscripts rival Cerner Corp.

Continuing the management shake-up, the company also announced that President Lee Shapiro is stepping down, effective immediately. Shapiro, however, will serve as a consultant to Black for six months; Tullman immediately gave up his CEO spot as well as his board seat.

“We want to thank Glen Tullman for building Allscripts into one of the leaders in the evolving healthcare IT industry,” said Dennis Chookaszian, Allscripts Chairman of the Board. “Glen began at the Company in 1997 when it was unprofitable, turned Allscripts around and achieved record revenues and profits in 2011. Along the way, Glen also grew the workforce to more than 7,000 employees. I also want to thank Lee Shapiro for his many important contributions to Allscripts, particularly with respect to our M&A strategy and international expansion.”

Chookaszian also announced that the company had completed its recently announced search for strategic alternatives, and decided that process would end with the management changes and a commitment “to develop Allscripts’ long-term potential.”

Tullman was also quoted in the release, saying that “It’s always been Allscripts’ goal to revolutionize healthcare and I am proud that Allscripts’ employees have moved this industry forward in both the US and abroad – enabling more people to access our healthcare systems, adding thousands of jobs, and developing an industry that will be one of the biggest future growth engines of the U.S. economy.  Allscripts' team has shown great resilience and dedication, and I appreciate their hard work to build Allscripts into a leading provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions. I am confident that Allscripts is in good hands and has a bright future ahead.”

Black spent more than 12 years with Cerner and retired as its COO in 2007. For most of his career at Cerner, Black was chief sales officer. Prior to Cerner, he was with IBM from 1982 to 1994, in a number of senior sales, marketing and professional services leadership positions.

Troubled Times

Allscripts has had a rough go of it lately, with reports of management turmoil, a lawsuit against Epic Systems, dismal financial results and reports about a possible sale. Here are a few Allscripts stories from the past year detailing the company's troubles:

Allscripts Sues NYC Provider and Epic After Losing Contract Bid

Reuters: Allscripts Has Second-Round Buyout Offers

Tough Quarter for Allscripts; Company Evaluates ‘Strategic Alternatives’

Three Firms Seeking Class-Action Lawsuits Against Allscripts

Financial Decline, Departures Roil Allscripts