50 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know
Written by Heather Punke (Twitter | Google+) | January 30, 2014
Becker's Hospital Review has named the following leaders to its inaugural list of "50 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know."
These 50 presidents and CEOs have shown commitment to providing high-quality, accessible care to their patient populations and have approached the challenge of rural healthcare with great aplomb.
For this list, "rural" was defined as being located outside a major metropolitan area or healthcare hub. Leaders were selected based on a number of factors, including awards received; local, regional and national leadership positions held and their organization's recent performance. Nominations were also considered.
Note: Individuals cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Names are presented in alphabetical order.
Benjamin Anderson. Administrator and CEO of Kearny County Hospital (Lakin, Kan.). Mr. Anderson has served at the helm of Kearny County Hospital, about 230 miles outside Wichita, since June 2013. He was previously CEO of Ashland (Kan.) Health Center. He is largely responsible for the development of a unique paid time off program that allows employees up to eight weeks of PTO every year, which helps attract high-quality, mission-driven physicians and staff.
Douglas Arnold. President and CEO of Helen Keller Hospital (Sheffield, Ala.). Mr. Arnold took the reins at Helen Keller Hospital in July 2011. Prior to moving to Alabama, Mr. Arnold was a market CEO for Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems' Arkansas Hospitals. Since taking over at Helen Keller, he has focused on recruiting high-quality physicians to the 9,039-person town of Sheffield.
Karen Barber, RN. CEO of Yoakum (Texas) Community Hospital. Originally joining Yoakum Community Hospital as a nurse in 1992, Ms. Barber became CEO of the hospital in 2006. Since she took the helm, Yoakum Community Hospital has added physicians, new services and an electronic health record system. In 2010, she was awarded the Texas Hospital Association's Pioneer Award, which recognizes excellence in rural hospital management.
Arthur Blank. President and CEO of Mount Desert Island Hospital (Bar Harbor, Maine). Mr. Blank has been at the helm of Mount Desert Island Hospital, located on an island off the coast of Maine, since 1999. He helped the hospital gain critical access hospital designation. In June 2012, he became chair of the Maine Hospital Association board of directors.
Jay Christensen. CEO of Mahaska Health Partnership (Oskaloosa, Iowa). Mr. Christensen has served as CEO of Mahaska Health Partnership, a critical access hospital about 60 miles southeast of Des Moines, Iowa, since 1999. Mr. Christensen served on the board of the Iowa Hospital Association from 2002-2009 and chaired the board from 2007-2008. In 2013, he helped dramatically expand MHP's medical staff, recruiting five new physicians.
Nicole Clapp. President and CEO of Grant Regional Health Center (Lancaster, Wis.). Ms. Clapp became president and CEO of Grant Regional Health Center in April 2006. She originally joined the hospital in 1996 as quality improvement coordinator. She has also served as the hospital's vice president of professional services.
Marcia Dial. CEO of Scotland County Hospital (Memphis, Mo.). Ms. Dial has been at the helm of Scotland County Hospital since 1988 and has been with the hospital, situated near Missouri's northern boarder, for more than 38 years. In 2011, Ms. Dial received the Missouri Hospital Association's Visionary Leadership Award. In 2013, she received a Becker's Healthcare Leadership Award.
Vickie Diamond, RN. President and CEO of Wyoming Medical Center (Casper). Ms. Diamond has served as president and CEO of Wyoming Medical Center since February 2008. She also previously served as the hospital's interim CEO, COO, CNO and senior vice president of patient care services. She is currently serving on the American Hospital Association's board of trustees; her term will expire in 2015.
James Dickson. CEO of Copper Queen Community Hospital (Bisbee, Ariz.). Mr. Dickson heads Copper Queen Community Hospital, a 14-bed critical access hospital roughly 92 miles southeast of Tucson, Ariz. In 2011, Mr. Dickson received the Shirley Ann Munroe Award from the American Hospital Association. The award recognizes accomplished small or rural hospital leaders, and Mr. Dickson received the honor for expanding healthcare access by operating three rural health clinics beyond the hospital's main campus.
Desiree Einsweiler. Administrator and CEO of Palo Alto County Health System (Emmetsburg, Iowa). Ms. Einsweiler became CEO of Palo Alto County Health System, a 25-bed critical access hospital, in 2012 when she was just 29 years old. She previously served as interim CEO of Mitchell County Regional Health Center in Osage, Iowa, and as regional clinic director of Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City.
Charlie Fahd. CEO of Massena (N.Y.) Memorial Hospital. Mr. Fahd has served as CEO of Massena Memorial Hospital, located in northern New York near the Canadian border, since 1997. His contract was renewed in 2012 and runs through 2014. In May, Massena Memorial opened a $3.9 million medical office building that houses physicians, surgeons and a phlebotomy center.
Dennis Franks. CEO of Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center (Chanute, Kan.). Mr. Franks has led Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center, the largest critical access hospital in the state, since 2006. Among Mr. Franks' many accomplishments, he implemented the Hello Yellow program at NMRMC, a fall reduction and community awareness program that garnered statewide praise. In 2012, he was a finalist for the American Hospital Association's Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award, which recognizes excellence and innovation in rural healthcare leadership. In 2013, he was a recipient of the American Hospital Association's Grassroots Champion Award, recognizing his leadership in community activity supportive of his hospital's mission.
John Gardner. CEO of Yuma (Colo.) District Hospital. Mr. Gardner was named interim CEO of Yuma District Hospital in January 2007 and took the position permanently in April 2007. He has helped Yuma District Hospital embrace a patient-centered medical home model through the use of care teams and care navigators. In 2013, he was a recipient of the American Hospital Association's Grassroots Champion Award, recognizing his leadership in community activity supportive of his hospital's mission.
Rachel Gonzales, RN. CEO of Madison Memorial Hospital (Rexburg, Idaho). Ms. Gonzales became CEO of Madison Memorial Hospital, which is situated about 310 miles east of Boise and 240 miles north of Salt Lake City, in April 2012. Last year, she received the Medical Professional of the Year award from the Rexburg Chamber of Commerce and was named to Becker's Hospital Review's list of 120 Women Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know.
Roger Hall. President of Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast (Miramar Beach, Fla.) and Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf (Port St. Joe, Fla.). Mr. Hall became president of Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast in 2002, when it was under construction. In 2008, he also became president of Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf, which opened in 2010. Since the Port St. Joe hospital opened, it has expanded to include multiple medical offices in neighboring cities.
Margot Hartmann, MD, PhD. President and CEO of Nantucket (Mass.) Cottage Hospital. Dr. Hartmann has served as president and CEO of Nantucket Cottage Hospital since October 2010. During her time at the helm of the hospital, which is located on an island off the coast of Massachusetts, she helped the hospital overcome $7.5 million in operating losses and introduced a telemedicine program. She was named "person of the year" by Nantucket Magazine in 2012.
Raymond Hino. CEO of Bear Valley Community Healthcare District (Big Bear Lake, Calif.). Mr. Hino was named interim CEO of Bear Valley Community Hospital in December 2012 and became the permanent CEO July 1, 2013. During his short time as CEO, Mr. Hino began the critical access hospital designation process and implemented a financial plan of corrections, resulting in total savings of $1.5 million in roughly seven months, among other accomplishments.
Robert Houser. CEO of Blue Mountain Hospital District (John Day, Ore.). Mr. Houser heads Blue Mountain Hospital District, a nonprofit organization consisting of a 25-bed hospital in John Day and a 48-bed nursing home in Prairie City, Ore.
Tim Jakacki. President of ProMedica Bixby and Herrick Hospitals (Adrian and Tecumseh, Mich.). As CEO of two ProMedica hospitals in southeast Michigan, Mr. Jakacki has more than 35 years of healthcare experience. Prior to his current position, he served as president of Defiance (Ohio) Regional Medical Center and Fostoria (Ohio) Community Hospital for three years. He is a member of the Michigan Hospital Association Legislative Policy Committee and a past chair of the Small and Rural Hospital Committee of the Ohio Hospital Association.
Jay Johnson. President and CEO of Duncan (Okla.) Regional Hospital. Mr. Johnson became president and CEO of Duncan Regional Hospital, located about 80 miles south of Oklahoma City, in 2010. Prior to joining the 192-bed nonprofit community hospital, he was senior vice president and COO of Mercy Memorial Health Center in Ardmore, Okla.
Doug Jones. CEO of Down East Community Hospital (Machias, Maine). Mr. Jones became CEO of Down East Community Hospital in 2011 after serving as interim CEO. He previously served as president and CEO of Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth. The hospital includes services not often found in 25-bed rural facilities; for example, it offers urology, a sleep lab and several minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries like splenectomies and hysterectomies. It was the first hospital in Maine to obtain a digital mammography unit.
Maureen Kahn, RN, MSN. President and CEO of Blessing Hospital (Quincy, Ill.). Since 2005, Ms. Kahn has led Blessing Hospital, located 137 miles north of St. Louis up the Mississippi. Under her leadership, the community-owned hospital has become a Magnet Hospital for nursing excellence, as well as a national chest pain center, a primary stroke center and an Institute for Healthcare Improvement Mentor Hospital.
Steve Kelly. President and CEO of Newton (Kan.) Medical Center. Mr. Kelly has served at the helm of Newton Medical Center since 2000. During his tenure, he has overseen the implementation of an electronic medical records system, and the hospital's annual revenues have more than tripled. Mr. Kelly has received local recognition of his work: In 2000, he was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Newton Area Chamber of Commerce. On a state level, Mr. Kelly is chairman of the Governor's Task Force, which examines changes to the state's Medicaid program.
Harold Krueger Jr. CEO of Chadron (Neb.) Community Hospital & Healthcare Services. Mr. Krueger has led Chadron Community Hospital & Healthcare Services for more than 20 years. He founded the Rural Health Care Association with eight other critical access hospitals and a tertiary care facility to promote high level care and communications. In 2012, Mr. Krueger was a finalist for the American Hospital Association's Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award, which recognizes excellence and innovation among rural healthcare leaders.
Michael K. Lally. CEO of Calais (Maine) Regional Hospital. Mr. Lally was named CEO of Calais Regional Hospital in December 2008. The 25-bed hospital serves an approximate population of 14,000. Prior to joining the hospital, situated close to the Canadian border, Mr. Lally was director of clinical business affairs for The Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I.
Robert Letson. CEO of South Peninsula Hospital (Homer, Alaska). Mr. Letson joined South Peninsula Hospital as CEO in 2008. The hospital is more than 200 miles southwest of Anchorage, near the Gulf of Alaska. In 2013, Mr. Letson received the American Hospital Association's Grassroots Champions Award for his leadership in creating local activity in support of his hospital's mission.
Todd C. Linden. President and CEO of Grinnell (Iowa) Regional Medical Center. Mr. Linden joined Grinnell Regional Medical Center in 1994. With Mr. Linden at the helm, the hospital has tripled its medical staff, added a new medical office building, built new community outreach clinics and created a fitness and rehab center, to name just a few improvements. He has served as chair of the Iowa Telemedicine Advisory Council and served on the American Hospital Association's board of trustees from 2000 to 2005, among other appointments.
William Mahone. President and CEO of Halifax Regional Medical Center (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.). Mr. Mahone became president and CEO of Halifax Regional Medical Center in December 2005. The hospital is about eight miles from the Virginia state line. Mr. Mahone previously served as president and CEO of Smyth County Community Hospital in Marion, Va. He has more than 25 years of healthcare administration experience in Virginia and North Carolina.
Michelle McEwen, CPA. President and CEO of Speare Memorial Hospital (Plymouth, N.H.). Ms. McEwen has served as CEO of Speare Memorial Hospital since June 2000. Under her leadership, the hospital became one of only eight critical access hospitals nationwide to receive the National Rural Health Resource Center Recognition for Quality Award for excellence and innovation in healthcare in 2013.
Ray Montgomery III. President and CEO of White County Medical Center (Searcy, Ark.). Mr. Montgomery is president and CEO of White County Medical Center, a 438-bed hospital about 50 miles north of Little Rock. He has been with the hospital for more than 20 years. In 2012, he was elected to the board of directors for the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care. In that role, he also represents AFMC on the Arkansas Hospital Association's board of directors.
Ben Moore III. President and CEO of River Hospital (Alexandra, N.Y.). Mr. Moore became CEO of River Hospital, a critical access hospital near the Canadian border in northern New York State, in 2006. In 2012, he helped the hospital launch an intensive outpatient program for Fort Drum soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, thus reducing soldiers' need for hospitalization. He has served on the board of directors of the Fort Drum Regional Planning Organization, which links military families to health services in the region.
Tommy Mullins. CEO of Boone Memorial Hospital (Madison, W.Va.). Mr. Mullins has been with Boone Memorial Hospital since 1964, when he was a bookkeeper at the newly opened hospital. He oversaw the hospital's 2012 transition from a county-owned hospital to a community-operated nonprofit entity. He is a founding member of the WV Hospital Association-Committee for Small Rural Hospitals. He is also a founding member of the Small Rural Task Force for The Joint Commission.
Dan Odegaard. CEO of Bigfork (Minn.) Valley Hospital. Mr. Odegaard has served as CEO of Bigfork Valley Hospital, located about 124 miles northwest of Duluth, Minn., since 2003. Under his leadership, the critical access hospital has made national headlines for high-quality, patient-centered care. For instance, in 2012, the hospital was a top performer in iVantage's Patient Perspective Index, which ranks hospital performance based on two HCAHPS measures: overall rating and percentage of patients who would highly recommend the hospital. Bigfork was also one of the 49 cleanest hospitals in 2013, according to HCAHPS.