BY DON NAPIER
Crossville Life Magazine
A year has passed since Cookeville Regional Medical Center’s board of directors named Paul Korth their CEO.
And it’s been a very busy year, both for Korth and the growing medical center. CRMC has experienced a great deal of growth and expansion under the leadership of their new executive officer.
“We’ve been very successful in recruiting additional doctors,” Korth said. “In the past 12 months, we’ve recruited 19 new physicians and brought in several new services.”
One of those new services is rheumatology, and the hospital has also added to the number of hospitalists (including a part-time pediatric hospitalist), neurologists and family medicine.
A third hermatology/oncology physician has also been added to the roster, who and will be offering those services soon seeing patients after the first of the year through the Cancer Center at Cookeville Regional.
“We’re trying to fill a lot of the needs in the area,” Korth said. A variety of expansion and renovations have been completed, including the new emergency rooms, and the expansion of the central sterile supply and pharmacy relocation.
A new da Vinci robot is bringing a new level of care to the hospital. The first in the state of Tennessee to offer robotic surgery across five specialities, CRMC is indeed unique in that it not offers the option of robotic surgery in urology, gynecology, general surgery, ENT and cardiothoracic surgery.
Thirteen surgeons at CRMC now offer robotic procedures. Cookeville gynecologist Dr. Bert Geer was chosen to be among the first 50 surgeons in the United States – and only the second in Tennessee – to become trained and certified in “single site” surgery with the daVinci. Robotic single-site surgery allows the procedure to be done through one incision in the belly button as opposed to two or three incisions.
Since 2007, Cookeville Regional has offered robotic surgery with one of the most advanced tools every developed, the da Vinci Surgical system. It’s a robotic device that enhances the skills of our nationally recognized surgeons, allowing them to perform complex and delicate procedures through tiny incisions. The smaller entry points mean less scarring and faster recovery time for patients, all while still receiving the highest level of care at Cookeville Regional.
Prior to stepping into the CEO role in October of last year (which began on an interim basis), Korth was the hospital’s chief financial officer for 14 years, a position that is still open today.
“We’re still seeking a chief operating officer and a chief financial officer,” he said. “Nobody’s really fit that role yet that I’ve interviewed, but once the COO is filled, then the CFO will be addressed.”
Korth credits a good team of accountants to keep the numbers balanced and flowing in the absence of a CFO.
As CEO, Korth oversees hospital operations and puts a face to the hospital out in the public. One of his goals, when he came on as CEO was to get out more in the community and answer any questions people may have.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of community events,” he noted. “I do have an open door policy and if anyone has any questions, they are welcome to talk to me anytime.”
Korth agreed to answer some questions from Crossville Life:
Q: In what other areas has there been growth for CRMC?
Korth: “Since acquiring Cumberland River Hospital in Celina in May of 2012, we have experienced a great deal of growth there. We are continuing to add services up there. It’s all about filling the need of the community.”
Q: How has the partnership with Vanderbilt benefited the hospital?
Korth: “It’s easier to transport patients from here to Vanderbilt. We have access to their services as well. We are especially looking forward to having pediatric specialists from Vanderbilt’s Children’s Hospital here after the first of the year who will be providing clinic hours to see patients in Cookeville. Another benefit of the partnership for us is that our CRMC employees will also be transitioning to the Aetna health insurance plan through the Vanderbilt’s benefit system Health Affiliated Network (VHAN), the largest provider-organized network of doctors, regional health systems, and other healthcare providers in Tennessee and seven surrounding states.”
Q: How common is it for big hospitals to partner with smaller ones?
Korth: “Partnerships with larger hospitals are becoming more and more common in a healthcare field that is constantly changing. Vanderbilt has also affiliated with a few other hospitals in the state since our partnership was finalized.”
Q: What else can we expect to see in the future?
Korth: “This is all just thte beginning of a new chapter for Cookeville Regional Medical Center, even though there are still a lot of unknowns with regard to healthcare reform nationwide.”
“More expansions are in the works, and funds are being put into expanding and updating technology, along with the idea of opening a wound care center with hyperbaric chambers on campus within the next year.”
Q: How is technology improving the hospital?
Korth: We’re continuing to upgrade our computer systems by going to the Paragon platform. We’re also looking at setting up a patient portal to make access to patient records easier on everyone.
“The portal would allow patients to voluntarily have their medical records updated and stored securely in a database, which would be easily updated by each specialist/doctor and accessed securely by the patient through a secure log-in method.”
Q: Do you see any end or a slow down to this growth?
Korth: “I think 2014 will be just as busy, if not busier.”
