Last year was a year of change in our country, and it was no different
here at home. This explains why I am writing to you in this space, the
first time in the history of Well Aware that someone other than Duane
Francis has appeared here.
It is rare for a hospital to be run by the same leader for 14 years. Now
it’s our job to ensure we don’t skip a beat in our ongoing
effort to provide our communities with high-quality healthcare services.
I will be serving as MCMC’s interim president and CEO until our nationwide
search brings us an outstanding individual to assume the No. 1 leadership
role in our organization.
We haven’t set an arbitrary deadline for finding this person because
we intend to be thorough in our search and particular with our selection.
This is a special organization, with a long history of innovation and
a deep commitment to our patient-centered values and providing outstanding care.
We don’t know how long it will take to find the person who meets
our criteria, but we can promise that person will be an outstanding addition
to our organization and community.
Organizational change at the leadership level often brings more change,
and two key members of the MCMC administrative team have chosen this time
to announce personal transitions of their own.
Dr. Bill Hamilton, our full-time chief medical officer since 2010 and a
member of the MCMC medical staff since 1987, is stepping down from his
position effective Jan. 2, 2017. Dr. Hamilton has touched many lives in
his roles as a general surgeon and as a member of our administrative team.
He was very instrumental in the development of MCMC’s relationship
with OHSU and is responsible for many other noteworthy accomplishments
as an organizational leader.
In Dr. Hamilton’s absence, Dr. Paul Cardosi will serve as interim
chief medical officer.
In addition, Don Arbon, MCMC’s chief financial officer since 2004,
has announced he will retire Jan. 31, 2017, in order to devote more time
to his wife, Katherine, and their family. An MCMC employee for 22 years,
Don has been an asset to our Financial Department and has served our organization
selflessly and always with good humor.
While we have work to do to replace these leaders, I have no doubt that
the quality of this hospital and the quality of life in this community
will attract outstanding candidates to carry forward MCMC’s long-standing
tradition of excellence.