Newswise — Baltimore – January 27, 2020 LifeBridge Health today announced new presidents for two of its hospitals: Garrett Hoover will become president and chief operating officer (COO) of Carroll Hospital in Westminster; Craig Carmichael will become president and chief operating officer of Northwest Hospital in Randallstown. Both will begin their tenures in late March.
The appointments of the new presidents are part of the health system’s strategic trajectory and plan to build a strong foundation for the future after a period of sustained growth.
“As we look to create a truly integrated healthcare delivery system at LifeBridge Health, we recognized the importance of having strong and focused leadership at each of our hospitals. With Garrett and Craig, we are thrilled to have found two experienced and exceptional healthcare executives to lead our teams at Carroll and Northwest hospitals,” says Leslie Simmons, executive vice president of LifeBridge Health.
Hoover comes to Carroll Hospital from Corning Hospital in Corning, New York where he is president and chief operating officer.
Carmichael joins Northwest Hospital from the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) where he has served as corporate vice president of operations and associate performance improvement officer.
“After an extensive national search, as well as input from many team members at all levels at both hospitals, we are excited to bring on these two new presidents, whose unique talents and experience are each an ideal fit for the hospital they will be leading,” adds Simmons.
Northwest Hospital/Craig Carmichael
Simmons has served as interim president of Northwest since June 2019, following the departure of Faraaz Yousuf, who left LifeBridge Health for a position with another healthcare organization.
As Carmichael becomes president of Northwest, he brings with him more than three decades of business and healthcare experience, including expertise in hospital operations and strategic planning. Along with his corporate role at UMMS, he was also senior vice president of operations at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center.
“As I got to know the people of Northwest Hospital and LifeBridge Health, I was extremely impressed with how focused they are on the communities they serve. I am excited to join this innovative, Baltimore-based healthcare system and furthering the mission to provide the highest quality care for our patients and engaging our employees in that care,” says Carmichael, whose first day will be March 23.
Carmichael also has a long history of community involvement in Baltimore County, including the Baltimore County Workforce Development Council, Towson Chamber of Commerce, and board member and treasurer for Leadership Baltimore County – a natural fit for Northwest Hospital’s community-focused approach to healthcare.
“At Northwest Hospital, community is at the heart of everything we do. Along with Craig’s leadership and operations experience, what really stands out about him is his enthusiasm and genuine community commitment. We look forward to working with him to advance our mission to improve the health of individuals in Randallstown, Reisterstown, Milford Mill, Windsor Mill and beyond,” says Paul Saval, chairman of the Northwest Board of Directors.
Carmichael earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Alma College and a master’s degree in business administration from Towson University. He also has certifications as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).
Carroll Hospital/Garrett Hoover
With the national search underway for the Northwest Hospital president, LifeBridge Health leaders recognized the opportunity to take the next step in the strategic reorganization announced in 2017 and identify a president and COO for Carroll Hospital to succeed Leslie Simmons, who has also served as Carroll Hospital president since 2014.
As Hoover and his family relocate to Maryland, Hoover says his vision is to uphold and expand upon the great work that has made Carroll Hospital a top-ranked hospital in Maryland, including a continued focus on a patient-first approach to care.
“Patients should receive quality care in a physical environment that is clean, comfortable and easy to navigate. They also should be supported emotionally during this time, where they are being heard and communicated to in a manner that works best for them and their family,” says Hoover, who will join the Carroll team on March 30.
Hoover has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He earned a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, a master’s in human resources from Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, and attained his undergraduate degree from Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania.
“Garrett is an experienced leader with a heart for community and passion for quality. I look forward to working with him on continuing our vision of improving the healthcare experience for our community at all points of care,” says Jeffrey Wothers, chair of the Carroll Hospital Board of Directors.
LifeBridge Health:
These changes follow a period of growth for the health system, including the 2019 acquisition of Grace Medical Center (formerly Bon Secours Baltimore Hospital).
Three years ago, LifeBridge Health announced an organizational restructuring to prepare for that growth, elevating both Chief Financial Officer David Krajewski and Carroll Hospital President Leslie Simmons to executive vice presidents at the system level.
As LifeBridge Health President & CEO Neil Meltzer said at the time, “With this growth comes more complexity, so we felt it was important to reorganize to respond to our rapidly changing environment. We know positioning key leaders in the right roles provides us a strong foundation for the future.”
At that time, the organization announced plans that each hospital would have its own president/COO to oversee the operations and strategy of each entity. This would allow the senior executive team of Meltzer, Krajewski and Simmons (each of whom has been part of the organization or one its entities for decades) to focus on moving the organization forward with the vision to be a more integrated healthcare delivery system.
The announcement of the Carroll and Northwest presidents caps a series of key leadership announcements for LifeBridge Health, which earlier this month introduced Daniel Blum as incoming president of Sinai Hospital. Blum will replace Jonathan Ringo, M.D., who is stepping down to be the president of a start-up telemedicine company.
“At LifeBridge Health, we have a solid senior leadership team in place and strong vision for the future. As we begin this new year and new decade, we are excited about the new energy this trio of hospital presidents will bring to our organization, as we move forward with our strategic vision to offer a continuum of care to our patients and communities,” concludes Simmons.
About LifeBridge Health:
LifeBridge Health is one of the largest, most comprehensive providers of health services in Maryland. LifeBridge Health includes Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Northwest Hospital, Carroll Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Grace Medical Center and related affiliates. For more information, visit www.lifebridgehealth.org
About Northwest Hospital:
Northwest Hospital, a nonprofit hospital with 231 beds located in Randallstown, has served the northwest Baltimore community for more than 50 years. With a patient-friendly design and impressive array of specialties, the hospital provides patient-centered care with an emphasis on quality and safety.
About Carroll Hospital:
Carroll Hospital is a 171-bed acute care facility in Westminster offering the latest in medical technology, experienced medical professionals in a variety of specialties and a continuum of programs and services to meet the needs of the community.
RSS