By Ginny Gillikin
Sun Correspondent
Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital RMCH hired a new president/CEO after a lengthy search for a full-time CEO last year. Wayne Gillis replaced interim CEO Bill Patten in mid-November.
In an interview with the Sun, Gillis said thatPatten was very involved during a two-week transition period.
“Now, we need to keep the forward momentum going,” he said.
Gillis is a former open-heart ICU nurse who has worked in the healthcare industry for 33 years and spent the last 15 years in operations. He held leadership positions at hospitals in Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Arizona, according to the hospital’s website.
“I’m passionate about patient care, coming from a nursing background,” Gillis said. He explained that nursing “has been useful in every role I’ve worked in. It gives me an advantage in connecting with people, roles, and challenges. I like to take care of people.”
FIXING RMCH’S PROBLEMS
Gillis inherited several issues at RMCH when he accepted the CEO role, including financial health, staffing, and management. He shared his plans for dealing with these problems with the Sun.
“The hospital is trying to get its debt paid off,” he said. “We are three-quarters completed in that journey. We should have the debt gone in the first quarter of 2025.”
Though RMCH became mired in financial problems, Gillis said its officers are building long-term strategies that should be sustainable,
RMCH has made progress with its staffing issues since Gillis became CEO. He said they used contract labor after the COVID pandemic, but that number is less than 5% now. The hospital also had many rehires – employees who left and came back.
“They wanted to come home,” Gillis said. “So, we are focusing on recruitment and retention.”
Gillis plans to accomplish much in his first six months as CEO, including working with the hospital’s internal team and providers and the people who use its services.
“I need to become part of the community and meet its needs,” he said.
He wants to expand RMCH’s telemedicine program, as well. Due to a lack of specialists, patients sometimes must travel long distances to receive care.
“We can expand care in a dramatic way with telemedicine,” Gillis said.
Gillis is developing a strategic plan to work on during the next six months. He said he wants to focus on debt reduction and getting paid for the services that the hospital delivers. Another goal is to increase patient satisfaction and the quality of care that is offered. To accomplish this, Gillis is working step-by-step and establishing interim goals, as well.
RMCH recently obtained accreditation as a Critical Access Hospital.
“This recognition reflects the hospital’s continuous commitment to safety and quality patient care,” according to a press release from Rehoboth McKinley Christian Health Care Services. “RMCHCS was subjected to a rigorous unannounced on-site assessment on Nov. 7 … The [Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality] team toured the hospital, reviewed medical records, observed care practices, and interviewed staff and patients.”
The hospital “is in a better position to manage patients and have funding to support them” due to the accreditation.” Gillis said. “It’s a good thing for the hospital and the community.”
RMCH temporarily closed its Labor and Delivery unit in 2022 due to a shortage of nurses and physicians. Hospital officials are evaluating the issue, and many factors are involved, including the need to recruit qualified staff members. Gillis said it will take many months to assess the issue, so he could not offer a concrete timeline for when the department would be up and running, but he said they want to “do it the right way and use the right resources.”
Hospital officials chose Ovation Healthcare as its management partner in May. The company offers leadership and other services, Gillis said. RMCH can obtain access to expensive databanks and medical supplies through Ovation, which can offer financial support and local expertise in case management.
