Officially, there’s a new chief executive officer at the Tyrone Hospital. But it’s no new face.
On Monday, the Tyrone Hospital Board of Directors chose Walter S. Van Dyke from 30 different applicants for the lead position at the hospital.
Van Dyke is no stranger to the hospital and Tyrone area. In October of 2003, he was chosen as interim chief executive officer when the board decided to “go in a different direction” and terminated the employment of then CEO Thomas Bartlett.
“We are very pleased that Mr. Van Dyke has made a commitment to Tyrone Hospital and will remain with us as CEO,” said Judith Norris, president of the Tyrone Hospital Board of Directors, in a press release. “We are confident the community and hospital will be well served under his leadership. We think his professional experience, management style, and vision is what we need to move Tyrone Hospital forward. We have been impressed with Mr. Van Dyke’s leadership and commitment during these past six months.”
Norris said a committee comprised of representatives of the board of directors and the hospital’s medical staff conducted the search for a CEO. She said there were many applicants for the CEO position. The search committee narrowed the list down to six top candidates and each of the candidates was interviewed extensively onsite. Van Dyke surfaced as the top candidate.
“We have worked closely with Van Dyke in recent months and he has earned our respect. He has been a good coach and a productive facilitator during a difficult period of time,” said Norris.
Van Dyke is a native of Pennsylvania. He has more than twenty–five years of experience in healthcare in a variety of executive level positions.
Van Dyke worked for a number of years at the Heritage Valley Health System and The Medical Center in Beaver, Pa where he held a variety of administrative positions at both the system and facility level. He served as Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Heritage Valley Health System. Prior to his appointment as executive director, he served as the system’s Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer. He also held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at The Medical Center, Beaver campus.
Prior to joining the Heritage Valley Health System, he served as Executive Director of the Westmoreland Hospital Association in Greensburg.
Van Dyke is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he completed both a Masters Degree in Public Health and Hospital Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.
Mr. Van Dyke said that shortly after joining Tyrone Hospital as the Interim CEO he became excited about the hospital’s potential in serving as a strong primary care hospital for the people of Northern Blair County and surrounding areas.
“The hospital’s medical staff and employees are very committed to the patients they serve. Tyrone Hospital is ideal for people that want to receive quality healthcare in an environment that is friendly and easy to use.
“The residents in our area are fortunate to have extensive healthcare services available to them through a variety of providers and facilities. I look forward to working cooperatively with the local healthcare community to ensure those served by Tyrone Hospital have access to the services they need.”
Since taking over the CEO position, Van Dyke has conducted a strategic planning session, including the board medical staff and key management personnel; along with interim CFO Jeffrey Longbrake, have worked hard to identify the hospital\’s financial weaknesses and are now in the process of developing a plan to address these; conducts regular “Open Discussion with the CEO” meeting that all hospital employees are invited to attend; has strengthened relationships with the medical staff; and has placed emphasis on building productive working relationships in general.
Now with a CEO in place, the search is on for a new Chief Financial Officer. Along with Bartlett, the board decided to end the employment of then CFO George Semko last October.
According to Norris, the main priority of the board was to replace the CEO. She said Van Dyke will be instrumental in the search for a permanent CFO. Norris said Jeffrey Longbrake, who is currently serving as interim CFO, will remain in that position until a permanent CFO is in place.
Tyrone Hospital is managed by Quorum Health Resources (QHR), a national healthcare management company.
