With the hiring of Chief Executive Officer Craig James in 2001,
Person Memorial Hospital welcomed more than a new face. One of
James' top priorities is a face lift for the hospital - a multi
million dollar expansion and renovation project.
Prior to his arrival, James served for five years as CEO at a
small community hospital in Virginia, and he has nearly 20 years
of hospital-administration experience. He made the move in part
because - as his accent reveals - he is a North Carolina native.
"It was a good move professionally to move into a larger
hospital as well as to get back to North Carolina, "James
says.
He describes his management style as participate" with as
emphasis on group decision making. As CEO, James is responsible
for implementing the hospital's mission and formulating the strategic
plan.
"A key role for me is trying to predict where we're going
to be three to five years from now," he says.
That vision starts with a massive renovation and expansion for
the hospital, "We also want to expand our intensive care
unit."
The overhaul is necessary to keep pace with the medical needs
of the area's growing population and general healthcare trend
towards more outpatient services.
Person Medical - the only hospital in county - already admits
approximately 2,400 people a year and handles around 30.000 outpatient
visits an d16,00 emergency room visits annually. After the construction
and renovation, the hospital is expected to accommodate 20 percent
to percent more volume.
Planning is still under way. "We expect to complete the planning
component within the next 12 months," James says. "Then
new construction would begin. We anticipate (the cost of the project)
could be somewhere between $5 million and $7 million."
As the hospital and the community grow, more nurses will be needed,
so James is establishing ties with Piedmont Community College
nursing program.
" I am working to straighten our relationship as a recruitment
tool for attracting graduates," he says. "We recently
established a loan forgiveness program. We will subsidize the
expenses for the two-year nursing degree in return for a commitment
to work with us for two years."
Meanwhile James is James is developing the new hospital's charitable
arm -
Person Memorial Hospital Foundation.
Nationally, hospitals have suffered funding and reimbursement
cuts and realize the need for additional community support to
maintain and improve health care services.
"We're setting up the corporation with it's own board and
educating the community about it." James says. "It has
a low amount of funds at this point."
He intends to boost funding levels so the foundation can meet
additional needs in the community, Because the community, James
says, "is what we're here for, what our mission is, and who
we're here to serve."