Becker's Hospital Review

22 70 critical access hospital CEOs to know | 2019 By Jenna Bloom B ecker's Healthcare is pleased to recognize the following 70 CEOs, presi- dents and administrators of critical access hospitals. e men and women included on this list lead hospitals with 25 beds or few- er that have been recognized for innovation, quality and patient safety on the local and national level. Several have overseen hospital expansions, mergers and EHR implementations as well as the construction of satellite clinics and strategic partnerships with regional healthcare providers. ese individuals hold an important role within their community, serving on corporate boards and state-level initiatives to improve access to care. Becker's Healthcare compiled this list through nominations and editorial re- search. e leaders presented are in alphabetical order, and individuals do not pay and cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Todd Almendinger. President and CEO Magruder Hospital (Port Clin- ton, Ohio). As president and CEO of Magruder Hospital, Mr. Almendinger oversees the care delivery of nearly 35,000 physician office visits and 66,000 outpatient visits each year. He previously served as vice president of finance and CFO of Magruder, a role he took on aer spending 18 years as vice-pres- ident of finance and CFO at Grady Memorial Hospital in Delaware, Ohio. Brett Altman, DPT. CEO of Cass County Health System (Atlantic, Iowa). Dr. Altman joined Cass County Health System in 2017 aer spending time as COO and president and CEO of Skiff Medical Center in Newton, Iowa. He also has 15 years of experience as director of physical medicine and re- habilitation at Skiff Medical Center. In addition to overseeing operations at Cass County Health System, Dr. Altman is on the advisory council of the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative and the Iowa Hospital Association ServiShare board. Bert Beard. CEO of Maria Parham Health (Henderson, N.C.). As CEO of Maria Parham Health, Mr. Beard manages a 25-bed critical access hospital with more than 150 physicians and a 700-person clinical support staff. Pri- or to assuming the position in 2016, he served as COO at 294-bed Wilson (N.C.) Medical Center for two years. Mr. Beard also had other healthcare ad- ministrative roles, like associate administrator and interim COO at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton, Fla. Arthur J. Blank. President and CEO of Mount Desert Island Hospital (Bar Harbor, Maine). Under the leadership of Mr. Blank, 25-bed Mount Desert Island Hospital has become a leading critical access hospital and in- corporated nine community health centers. He also spearheaded a teaching partnership with Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine and helped established a nonprofit retirement community. Mr. Blank joined MDI Hospital in 1999 and has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare senior management positions. Tom Borowski. President of Hudson (Wis.) Hospital & Clinic. Mr. Borowski is the president of Hudson Hospital & Clinic, a 25-bed crit- ical access hospital that has earned local and national recognition for its sustainability and healing efforts. He leads the 60-person medi- cal staff that treats nearly 20,000 emergency center and specialty clinic patients annually. Doug Bush. President of ProMedica Defiance (Ohio) Regional Hospi- tal. Mr. Bush was associate vice president of strategic planning and business development for ProMedica before becoming president of Defiance Regional Hospital in January 2018. He's helped develop Defiance Regional's strategy and led investigative business development efforts to expand access to care and develop new care delivery models. Rebecca Carter, MSN, RN. President and Chief Nursing Officer of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital (Spruce Pine, N.C.). Ms. Carter has spent 20 years of her career in hospital management, including time as COO and CNO of Transylvania Regional Hospital in Brevard, N.C., before becom- ing president and CNO of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. e hospital, which is part of Mission Health, was named an iVantage Health Analyt- ics Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in 2019. Ms. Carter is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Jason Cleckler. CEO of Delta County (Colo.) Community Hospital. Un- der Mr. Cleckler's leadership, Delta County Community Hospital has devel- oped into an award-winning facility that focuses primarily on access, quality of care and "treating the whole person." Mr. Cleckler is now focusing efforts on addressing the opioid crisis in addition to his other responsibilities with the hospital. Karen Cheeseman. CEO Mackinac Straits Health System (St. Ignace, Mich.). Ms. Cheeseman has served as CEO of Mackinac Straits Health Sys- tem, a 15-bed hospital with an emergency medical center and outpatient surgery center, since 2017. She has spent more than 16 years with Mackinac Straits and serves on the Michigan Health council and Hospital Association small and rural council. Paula Chermside. CEO of Aspirus Ironwood (Mich.) Hospital. As CEO of Aspirus Ironwood Hospital, Ms. Chermside aims to improve the collabo- ration between Aspirus hospitals in Ironwood, Ontonagon, Keweenaw and Iron River, Mich. She previously spent three years as COO of Aspirus Grand View in Ironwood, which has now been renamed. During her tenure there, she led the expansion and renovation of the emergency department, con- struction of an outpatient facility and the introduction of an EHR. Natalie Couturiaux Ryder, MSN, RN. Chief Administrative Officer of As- cension Borgess-Lee Hospital (Dowagiac, Mich.). Ms. Couturiaux Ryder is responsible for the development, design and operational improvement of systems for healthcare delivery at Ascension Borgess-Lee Hospital, where she serves as chief administrative officer. Her role combines the functions of COO and CNO in the rural healthcare setting, where she aims to maximize the value of care and execute the hospital's strategic plan. During her first 15 months in her current role, she improved patient and employee satisfaction. She reduced staff turnover within her first year. Bruce Craven. Director of Operations and Finance at River Falls (Wis.) Area Hospital. Mr. Craven oversees River Falls Area Hospital's finances and is an integral member of the hospital's strategic planning, contracting and operational decision-making team. He joined Allina Health in 2008 aer working in business and finance for Fairview Health Services. A 25-bed critical access hospital, River Falls has 250 employees and 156 physicians on staff. Sponsored by:

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