A Message From the President, HealthFocus Summer 2019 Steve Leonard, Ph.D., MBA, FACHE, President/CEO Peninsula Regional Health System, Peninsula Regional Medical Center
Nanticoke, McCready and Peninsula Regional: Partners in Health
Steve Rose, President and CEO of Nanticoke Health Services, said it perfectly six months ago, announcing to his Sussex County team about choosing to affiliate with the Peninsula Regional Health System: “We share a similar culture and commitment to community. Combined, our two organizations will create a strong healthcare system for the Delmarva Peninsula.”
Similarly, Kathleen Harrison, CEO of McCready Health, said a little over a year ago when announcing the Somerset County healthcare provider was exploring a partnership, “We understand that stronger partnerships will be necessary to provide the people of this region with the most effective and efficient medical care possible.”
Kathleen and Steve, both great individuals, friends and leaders, are spot on. We are stronger together. By bringing our teams together, we are creating a larger, more comprehensive health system that combines our experiences, our people, our best quality and safety practices and our passion for helping people. This is individual “we’s” becoming a much better “us” – increasing access to healthcare across Delmarva and providing the right care in the right place at the right time.
Who benefits most? Everyone who relies on us for their healthcare. While we still need to work through the regulatory process, we’re confident we are on the right track. This new system represents a strong step forward for our region – a united front in battling disease and improving the health of all those we serve.
I’m honored that the leadership teams at Nanticoke and McCready have both signed a letter of intent to collaborate with us. We have very similar missions that pledge to improve healthcare, access and services. We each have outstanding teams of physicians, providers, clinicians, staff and volunteers supporting us at hospitals, health centers, physician and specialty offices, assisted living and long-term care facilities. Imagine all that we can do together.
What will this new system look like and what will it be called? Quite frankly, we’re not sure. There is much to be done when you bring three leading healthcare teams under the same umbrella. We are diligently working on the details, large and small.
This partnership will eventually have a new name, but retain the local brands that people already trust and respect. Nanticoke Memorial, McCready and Peninsula Regional will all become part of a larger, healthcare corporation partnering to support better health for us all. What won’t change? The commitment each institution has provided for decades to the people in the all the communities it serves.
Understand, none of us are going away — we’re just getting better, stronger, by combining what each of us does best. While this eventually will look a bit different, evolving over the next two to three years, we are all committed to making sure you have better access to care and different types of care near where you live.
Constructing an award-winning, clinically advanced healthcare system from these building blocks is not a new concept. Hospitals are coming together across our nation as we all face the same challenges and opportunities to position ourselves as leaders in a revolutionary health and wellness movement.
Are we done building? Not at all. We are always looking for additional partners who can bring new people, new ideas and new services. Stronger together has never been more important than now on the Delmarva Peninsula.
I personally want to thank Steve, Kathleen, each of the Boards of Directors, and the physicians, volunteers, clinicians and teams at Nanticoke, McCready and PRMC. Their trust and support is essential. We will always make sure you are part of and well informed about this amazing transformation.
To our friends on the Delmarva Peninsula, the same promise. We’ll certainly have more to share in the October issue of this magazine.