Since I arrived at Community Medical Center in the summer of 2010, much has evolved in the field of healthcare. Aside from regional hospital mergers and outright sales to out-of-state, for-profit health systems, we’ve witnessed President Barack Obama’s national healthcare reform bill signed into law as well as a proposed 2011-2012 state budget rife with significant cuts for healthcare providers. Add to that the lingering effects of an economic recession the nation continues to weather and you’ve got the perfect industry-wide storm.
To say that navigating the shifting waters of healthcare is anything less than challenging would be a tremendous understatement. While financial challenges compel us to think differently about how we deliver healthcare, it’s important to point out that our mission of being the leading provider of quality healthcare in the region remains unchanged.
For more than 114 years, our hospital has not only met the region’s innumerable healthcare needs, we have acted as an involved member of the community. This obligation to our region is rooted in CMC’s status as a charitable, not-for-profit Pennsylvania corporation.
We also know that improving the region’s health and quality of life extends beyond diagnosis and treatment. It means empowering people with knowledge to take charge of their own health. That requires community education, outreach services and medical screenings, all of which CMC provides without reimbursement.
CMC also offers the county’s only Level II Trauma Center with a team of specially-trained surgeons and support staff readily available at all times. We’re also the only Lackawanna County hospital to employ a full-time neurosurgeon and our behavioral health unit offers the only adult psychiatric inpatient program in the city. Although these unique services cost more than we receive in payment, they are necessary to meet the medical needs of the community.
Now more than ever, we remain focused on quality, costs, access and sustainability of our health system. I remain extremely proud of the efforts of CMC’s talented team and am grateful for the time and support of our volunteer Board of Trustees who shepherd our mission through these turbulent times. Lastly, without the support of our community including philanthropic community members and businesses who continue to support CMC we would not be who we are. It is indeed an honor to serve such a remarkable community.
Robert P. Steigmeyer
