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Gallup Sun

Thursday, Mar 28th

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You are here: Opinions Viewpoints Letter to the Editor: Hospital CEO hits the reset button

Letter to the Editor: Hospital CEO hits the reset button

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Dear Editor,

As the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services (RMCHCS), I want to say – thank you for welcoming me into your community. My family and I are moving to Gallup, NM from Liberal, KS where I served as the CEO of Southwest Medical Center.

Our family has a saying, “home is where our family is.” Gallup, NM is now our home. We have treasured the variety of places where we have lived and the spirit of the people in each place. The land and people of northwest New Mexico are unique and special.

The beauty of the desert lands, the high bluffs, and the rising and setting suns remind me that we are blessed in our circumstances. I hope you and I can all come together.

Working together to deliver excellent healthcare is a vision I share with RMCHCS. I am prepared to serve my new community; be ingrained in local culture, customs, and traditions; and share with you my joy in helping others improve their lives. Healthcare is deeply personal and I plan to listen and hear your stories.

Knowing our history is the foundation that helps us remember who we are and where we want to go. I also know that change is ever present and that we must embrace all that is good and look forward – while honoring our past – to leave a legacy our children will be proud to follow.

I offer my heartfelt thank you to the many providers, staff, and community members who helped the Gallup area through the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. At RMCHCS, we are working to be your trusted healthcare resource.

We have experienced financial challenges, yet we are in a much better place now. Measures taken to control costs and revitalize services have allowed us to improve our foundation and we are ready to springboard to more improvements.

Technology upgrades are underway, a new electronic health record system is being implemented, quality initiatives are improving lives, and improved patient access plans are being developed. We have recently expanded our orthopedic and urology services. We received approval for a substantive Medicaid rate and a federal designated rural health clinic – both of which allow us to serve more people.

As a healthcare advocate, I am enlisting the help of all the medical staff and hospital staff in delivering elite-level care.

We will accomplish this by following my 4 aims: Improve Patient Outcomes; Enhance the Patient Experience; Care for the Caregiver; and Reduce the Cost of Care. I know we can improve the hospital’s performance and we will – step by step. We will evaluate every aspect of what we do with our 4 aims guiding our process.

Myself, the Board of Directors, and hospital leadership are committed to trust, honesty, and transparency through platforms for improved communication: open-comment periods at board meetings; reports to the community through a variety of media; and hosting town hall meetings for staff.

RMCHCS is here to serve this community and the region with dignity and respect. We will work together for the greater good of each of you and all of us.

Thank you.

Robert A. Whitaker

CEO, Rehoboth Christian Health Care Services