A group of local entrepreneurs, politicians and movers and shakers were invited to a special meet and greet event at Hallagan Fine Furniture in Newark on Thursday night.
Brad Pearson of the Newark Wayne Community Hospital Foundation, came up with the event idea, believing that promoting a local private business and its parallels with local health care, would make a unique point.
“We really think we have parallel paths,” said Walt Hallagan of Hallagan Fine Furniture. “We both want to do our best for our customers.” He noted that communications and public relations are both important to local business and local health care. “We also like to run lean, eliminating waste and giving better service for less cost to our businesses,” Walt added.
Following an extensive and enlightening tour of the manufacturing facility, Pearson introduced Rob Cercek, the Regional President of Operations for Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic, who introduced the crowd to the latest proposed renovation at Newark Wayne Hospital. Although the proposal has not yet been fully approved, the hospital is moving forward with plans to build a new chapel (lost during the renovation for the new Emergency Department), an indoor connect to Demay Living Center, and a new front portico leading to an efficient patient access center, providing all pre-procedural medical services registration.
Cercek also proudly announced the hospitals’s new “Fast Track” system in the Emergency Department for non- acute patients, noting it will speed up the handling to case in the E.R. which can be handled quickly and released, to leave more beds and medical staff dedicated to more serious illnesses.
One more highlight at Newark Wayne Community Hospital will be a change in the food service, which will now be a more high quality, fresher culinary experience. That was demonstrated at the event, by fresh and diverse appetizers offered to the guests by the new culinary staff.
Also on hand to speak to the group was the new CEO of Rochester Regional Health System, Dr. Eric Bieber, who hails from Illinois, and was named to his new position in November of 2014.
An Obstetric and Gynecology surgeon, Dr. Bieber accepted the job in Rochester, saying he was “energized and excited” about the chance to lead the 14,000 employee Rochester system at “this essential time of foundational development and growth.”
Bieber received his doctor of medicine degree at Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine. He served his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Rush St. Luke’s Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago, followed by a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at University of Chicago. He went on to earn his MS degree in health care management from Harvard University.
While working in Cleveland, Dr. Bieber revealed that he and his wife Edie, had found the “perfect home” and were ready to settle in, “until there came this opportunity to be the founding CEO of a new health system in Rochester.” He felt it was just too good an offer to refuse, once he met the people he would work with in Rochester. “I was really impressed with all the hospital staff, from the nurses, and secretaries to the doctors. The staff really cares. I saw no whining. If a situation came up, it was just handled with grace. They got it done. I am thrilled to be here. The power or many, and how we connect it, matters,” added Dr. Bieber.
