As the new Chief Executive at INTEGRIS Health Ponca City Hospital, I get asked often what my vision is for the hospital. The simple answer is I want our hospital to be the best community hospital in Oklahoma and in the country. But what does “best” mean? There are so many ways to define that, so I want to share what I hope you will encounter if you have the need to visit our hospital.
I want you to see that we are committed to making sure the care you receive is the absolute highest quality. Quality in my mind means that your care is provided timely, it is provided safely and that your personal and spiritual needs are met along with your medical needs. We are blessed in Ponca City, and at our hospital, with caregivers, physicians and advanced practice providers who are not only exceptional clinically, but who are caring people. We may not provide all the clinical care you may need locally, but we can provide the act of caring better than anyone else. That is my expectation for when you visit us.
As I mentioned above, we may not be able to provide all the services you need locally. I do not envision our hospital performing open heart surgeries, transplants or other highly specialized treatments in Ponca City. What we can provide, though, I expect us to be the best. We are continually looking at our community and identifying areas where we can begin offering services or expand what we already offer. Recruiting new physicians to the community is a crucial piece of that, and our team is working every day to identify candidates that we hope to relocate to Ponca City. It is not an easy task, but one that is important to our ongoing success and one we will continue to pursue diligently.
INTEGRIS Health Ponca City Hospital is one of the larger local employers, and with that comes an obligation to be a strong corporate and community citizen. I want our hospital to be involved and visible around the area, and I am committed to making sure the hospital and I are active in the community and are good corporate citizens. I cannot expect the community to support my hospital if I do not support the community, and I will personally support local businesses. Supporting each other in every way possible makes Ponca City thrive.
Since my wife and I moved to Ponca City in May, we have been welcomed graciously and have truly enjoyed meeting so many people and seeing the passion for our hospital. Having a strong healthcare organization is a key to a strong community, and my goal is to make sure we are strong now, into the future and forever. Whatever is needed to make and keep us strong, we are committed to getting there. We have an amazing team at INTEGRIS Health Ponca City Hospital, and I am blessed to work with them every day.
