Shepherding Change At Harrington Memorial
Photo/Christina H. Davis
ED MOORE, President and CEO of Harrington Memorial Hospital
Photo/Christina H. Davis
ED MOORE, President and CEO of Harrington Memorial Hospital
Ed Moore came to Harrington Memorial Hospital in Southbridge in August 2007 with nearly 30 years of health care management experience under his belt, including a recent stint at the for-profit MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham. Since landing at the nonprofit community hospital, he's overseen a huge series of expansion plans, which include renovations to the hospital's patient care floors, a planned renovation to the hospital lobby and the construction of a new cancer center through a joint venture. There's a lot happening at Harrington Memorial, and here, Moore gives the WBJ an update.
>> What's the latest in terms of the construction at the hospital?
We signed off this week on a Massachusetts Health and Education Facilities Authority (HEFA) financing for $20 million. We'll use that financing to pay for phase one of the renovations, which are underway and expected to be complete in 18 months.
>> And where are you with plans for the cancer center?
We are now in the phase of finalizing our drawings. We're looking to start site work within a month with a completion date of next June. It will be a two-story building that will house radiation oncology, which is a joint venture piece between the hospital and 21st Oncology of Florida. We'll also move our medical oncology program to the second floor of that two-story building.
>> Why is the hospital building the cancer center?
It fits very well with our strategy of where we're going with cancer care. There's no radiation oncology services between Worcester and Springfield and that's too far a drive for people that need 25 or 30 treatments. Here, it'll be all right there - drive right up, get in, get out. And it's being done with top-of-the-line equipment.
>> What expansion plans do you have beyond the hospital's main campus?
We need to do more outreach into the local community so we're renovating space on Route 131 in Sturbridge where we're going to put one of our urologists and a primary care physician. We're looking at space to increase our services in rehabilitation therapy in Southbridge and Sturbridge. We're also finalizing an arrangement for space in Charlton to put a physician's office there. Longer term, we're looking at some sites on Route 20 in the Charlton area.
>> Is Harrington a little behind in terms of opening up satellite offices?
That's exactly why we're doing it. On one hand, we're playing catch up, on the other hand, the good news is, the opportunity still exists. The areas that we're going into there's very little penetration from others in those markets, so it's an opportunity for us to put our stake in the ground and get control in those markets.
>> What kind of an adjustment was it for you coming from MetroWest Medical Center, a for-profit and much larger health care system?
The for-profit world is more driven by data and more driven by shorter time frames to achieve a financial bottom line. The nonprofit world still necessitates making a profit, but it's somewhat different. There's an opportunity in the nonprofit world to invest in the future without seeing the same time frame for the return.
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