Keim named to Becker's "50 Rural CEOs to Know"

2/17/2015

Tom Keim, CEO of Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital (SGCMH), has been named to the 2015 list of “50 Rural Hospital CEOs to Know” by Becker’s Hospital Review. According to the publication, these 50 presidents and CEOs have shown commitment to providing high quality, accessible care to their patient populations.
The honor comes as no surprise to members of the hospital’s board of directors.
“Tom works tirelessly to add services, improve operations and maintain quality staff at Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital,” said Rod Scherer, board president. “He is a leader we can all be proud to have in our community.”
Since Keim became the hospital’s CEO in February 2007, the hospital has undergone many significant changes. He has converted semi-private rooms to private rooms; added new diagnostic imaging equipment; added the new ER; remodeled the front lobby and hospital exterior; and added the Bloomsdale Medical Centre.
The hospital has also enhanced its primary care and women’s wellness services with the addition of a 12-provider multispecialty practice. Under his leadership, the hospital’s affiliation partnership with Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis was strengthened. Mr. Keim also received the Missouri Hospital Association 2014 Visionary Leadership Award.
“It’s nice to be honored and recognized, but it’s really a credit to our entire team and staff,” said Keim. “For the last eight years I’ve worked with some of the best people in healthcare. They have a deep, caring attitude and a compassion for providing the best care that they can. Being included on this list just reinforces that we’re on the right track.”
Becker’s Hospital Review last year designated SGCMH as one of the “Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare,” a title of which Keim is very proud. He said his goal is for SGCMH to not only be the employer of choice, but the healthcare provider of choice, as well.
“The Bloomsdale Medical Centre is a perfect example of how we’re trying to meet the healthcare needs of our community,” he said. “We added the extended hours clinic because after hours your choice was to come to the ER or to travel to an urgent care clinic in the city. Likewise, we added the pharmacy for patient convenience.”
Keim explained that additionally the Bloomsdale facility was meant to meet the needs of women’s healthcare in a part of the county that continues to grow.
“With our practitioners Dr. Lam, Dr. Cavins, nurse practitioners Mary Crecelius and Kelly Donze, and now with Dr. Breckenridge, we have built a tremendous nucleus for a great women’s health program,” Keim said. “We’re now becoming more of a regional attraction for women’s’ healthcare.”
The next big project is the expansion of the hospital’s surgery area, which will get under way in the next four to six weeks.
“The expansion will bypass the hospital front admissions area and will have its own including a new waiting room and six pre and post op private rooms, so when people come to the hospital for a procedure it will be a lot more private,” said Keim. “Privacy is always something we take very seriously.”
In addition, Dr. Joseph Sharlow’s office will move from the plaza to the area directly below the new surgery expansion.
Staying ahead of the curve by adding services, physicians, employees and the space to house them are just one part of today’s healthcare equation.
“Healthcare is really changing,” he said. “With healthcare reform and the new affordable care act, healthcare is really challenging. We have to stay on the cutting edge and hopefully take steps now that will continue to make us a very viable hospital and position us to be here today, tomorrow and long into the future. It’s been a labor of love.”
For consideration on Becker’s Hospital Review top 50 list, “rural” was defined as being located outside a major metropolitan area or healthcare hub. Leaders were selected based on a number of factors, including local, regional and national leadership positions held, their organization’s recent performance, and awards received.