EMHS accountable to entire region

We ask the residents of eastern, central and northern Maine to think about all the facts when considering the governance, accountability and leadership of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems. First, it’s important to understand the difference between EMHS and Eastern Maine Healthcare. EMHS is the parent of EMH, The Aroostook Medical Center (TAMC) and Sebasticook Valley Hospital and represents the health system of the wider nine-county area. Under EMHS, there is EMH, which has subsidiaries including Eastern Maine Medical Center and Acadia Hospital. One governance modernization consideration is the elimination of EMH so that EMMC and Acadia would have EMHS as their direct parent. If EMH is eliminated, the function of EMH members (formerly corporators) must be addressed also.

Our board’s Governance Modernization Committee has not completed its work. In the event that they propose a new Member model, shouldn’t it be a model that provides a more equitable representation across the region, and be fairer to each hospital within the system?

As leaders in EMHS, we fully support being held accountable for meeting the mission of high quality care and access for all our communities. However, we do not support the control of the nine-county system by a single geographic group, such as the current EMH members. The members of EMH (formed in 1983) initially began as members to EMMC, and therefore are primarily from the greater Bangor area. Currently, they participate in electing the trustees of EMMC and Acadia. They have no participation at the EMHS level, which also includes The Aroostook Medical Center, Sebasticook Valley Hospital, Inland Hospital and CA Dean Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home.

As for discussions about the accountability of EMHS to all its communities, just look at its exceptional clinical and financial records. The organization has uniformly been given high marks for the clinical performance of the hospitals in the system. The most recent two JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) surveys of EMMC have resulted in exceptional ratings. Our hospitals meet or exceed many nationally accepted quality standards for patient care. Acadia Hospital was recently granted “Magnet Hospital” status for its excellent performance in caring for patients and TAMC was recently recognized as one of Solucient’s 100 Most Improved Hospitals.

Since 1990, technology and healthcare services’ growth has been phenomenal; EMHS and its subsidiaries have brought to their communities technology that improves our ability to diagnose and treat, respond to emergencies, leverage clinical knowledge and develop standards of care throughout the region. Just a few examples of those achievements are: LifeFlight of Maine, EMMC’s 16-Slice CT Scanner, TAMC’s Linear Accelerator, Sebasticook Valley Hospital’s Women’s Center, remote dialysis centers in Presque Isle, Ellsworth and Lincoln, digital mammography and computer aided detection at EMMC’s Breast and Osteoporosis Center, and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for EMMC cancer patients.

The financial status of EMHS is strong. Wall Street rating firms like Standard and Poors and Moody’s have given EMHS consistently strong ratings. EMHS external auditors, Deloitte & Touche, have reported to the boards with consistently strong evaluations of financial and compliance performance.

There’s also no secret about the exceptional leadership, which Norm Ledwin has provided. He has facilitated the relationships necessary to bring us together so we could overcome the challenges and deliver such strong performance system-wide. The board charged Norm to pursue the healthcare missions of EMHS and he has done so with determination, compassion and flexibility. It is vital that each member organization be treated equitably, and, as CEO of the system, Norm ensures this. The assets of the System are not intended to be resources for the personal, professional or economic gain of any individual or group. Rather, they are focused on providing sufficient and timely care for all. That is the system’s mission, and Norm continuously exemplifies this.

Today the people of eastern, central and northern Maine have better access and better healthcare. As leaders of the organizations within EMHS, we strongly support all the boards’ efforts as we continue to evolve and be ready for the challenges ahead.

This commentary was signed by the EMHS executive leadership: Bill Addison, president and CEO, Inland Hospital; Daniel B. Coffey, executive vice president and CFO, EMHS; Michael R. Crowley, vice president, Eastern Maine Charities; Helen L. Genco, president & CEO, Bangor Area Visiting Nurses; Leonard Giambalvo, Esq., vice president and general counsel, EMHS; Kenneth A. Hews, executive vice president, EMHS, and president and CEO of Affiliated Healthcare Systems, Eastern Maine Charities and Rosscare; Dorothy E. Hill, president, The Acadia Hospital; Deborah Carey Johnson, president, Eastern Maine Medical Center; John C. May, president and CEO, Sebasticook Valley Hospital; Geno Murray, president and CEO, Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital & Nursing Home; David A. Peterson, president and CEO, The Aroostook Medical Center; Miles U. Theeman, executive vice president and COO, Affiliated Healthcare Systems; P. Jerry Whalen, vice president of Business Development, EMHS.