Matthew J. Thompson FACHE
As Carson City Hospital (CCH) and the local community conclude the celebration of the 75th anniversary of CCH, the hospital’s third transition of chief executives also comes to a close. Matthew J. Thompson, FACHE, has accepted the Board of Directors’ offer to succeed Bruce L. Traverse, FACHE as president and CEO. The appointment is effective Dec. 24.
Since joining CCH in 2008, Thompson has served on the Board of Finance and Quality committees, implemented a new Service Excellence program, and has initiated several programs and strategies to place the organization in a position to fulfill the governmental health-care reform measures and respond to reduced financial reimbursement.
Thompson grew up in Indiana and is a graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, IN, earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Health Education. He earned a Master of Health and Hospital Administration degree at Indiana University.
With nearly 20 years of hospital administration experience, Thompson previously served as vice president of Support Services at Pennock Health Services in Hastings, MI, from 1996 through 2007. His responsibilities at Pennock included marketing research and planning, community and patient satisfaction assessment, physician recruitment, facility construction, medical staff needs planning, organizational strategic planning for short and long term, and new service business development. He also served as the executive director of the Physician Hospital Organization and the Pennock Foundation.
Director of Patient Services Nancy A. Weaver, M.S., R.N., F.N.P. said, “As the senior member of the executive team, it is my pleasure to welcome Matt to the role of CEO and president. I have found him to be responsive to requests and suggestions. He has demonstrated his interest in helping to move CCH in a forward direction. His vision for our future models the thoughts of our associates. He is dedicated to helping us achieve our long standing mission of providing comprehensive care close to home for the patients we serve.”
Sonny House, vice chairman, CCH Board of Directors agrees, stating “As a volunteer and serving on various committees, I have had the opportunity to work with Matt over the past several years. I enjoy and appreciate his dedication to keep CCH strong and independent while focusing on the quality of medical care offered and the increased diversification of the many medical specialties. I feel honored to have him leading our hospital as we go forward.”
Thompson is board certified in Healthcare Administration, earning fellow status in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). He has been a member of the Great Lakes Healthcare Executive Chapter since 1994, serving on its Board of Directors from 2006 to 2009.
When asked to describe the transition period, Thompson stated, “I was ‘recruited’ to CCH in 2007 with the full knowledge of the CEO succession plan that was developed by the Executive Team and the Board of Directors. In essence, I have been on a four-year CEO job interview with training and mentoring from Bruce Traverse. I had no guarantee of a CEO position.”
Medical Director Robert Seals, D.O., said that, “Although he has big shoes to fill, Matt has the expertise and the complete backing of the physician staff to make this transition a seamless one.” Emergency Department Director Chris Herald, M.D., also comments, “I have complete confidence that under Mr. Thompson’s leadership, CCH will continue to provide the highest quality health care for years to come.”
Thompson concludes, “My role is to lead CCH according to the vision established by my mentors as it is further developed by the highly skilled and dedicated team which remains in place. Our administrative team is currently positioning the organization to meet the future challenges of health-care reform. Initiatives being pursued to allow CCH to achieve our mission include: physician alignment, aggressive cost management, reinvention through leveraging of information systems, payment reform that rewards quality outcomes verses volume, and managing population health through efforts to change health related behaviors. I’m here to make sure our staff has all the tools and resources they need to take care of our patients. It makes me very proud to support the health of the community by being able to continue to improve services at our hospital. It’s why I went into health-care administration. CCH has a rich tradition of being a family-oriented, caring community hospital. This is part of who we are and I will continue to protect this part of our culture as we move forward.”