Ten years ago, in May of this year, Joann Anderson embarked on a new journey as president and chief then named Southeastern Regional Medical Center. Many achievements and a name change later, Anderson continues to guide Southeastern Health and its more than 2,200 employees and 390 medical staff mem- on her time with the organization and her perspective on the outlook for its future: Q: Looking back 10 years, what was the main factor that so- endeavor? A: “As I was making a decision to move to the Carolinas, I explored several opportunities across both North and South Carolina. Something kept drawing me back to the opportunity at Southeastern. I believe I was led to be here. Throughout the interview process, the more I learned about Southeastern’s history and the community it served, I felt it was right for me. The community is a size I enjoy. The population served by Southeastern in its primary service area is one I could relate to because of my experience and my rural upbringing. I had a physician friend say to me, as I was making my decision, ‘Joann, go somewhere you can make a difference; don’t just go somewhere because there is a job available.’ I hoped I could make a difference at Southeastern.” Q: What do you consider the greatest achievement (or top 5) for Southeastern Health throughout your career to date? A: “One thing I am extremely proud of is that we have remained an independent, single hospital system in a time when so many community, rural hospitals have either closed or for- Board of Trustees have remained strong in their commitment to this community. The leadership team and staff have worked hard to keep Southeastern strong and viable. Through it all, we care and outcomes. Many new providers have been added. We successfully navigated the transition under the Affordable Care Act. We began a partnership with Campbell University to train physicians. I could go on with a much longer list because this organization is one that is totally committed to doing everything it can to meet the needs of our community.” Q: Where do you see Southeastern Health in 5 years? 10 years? What major changes would you anticipate? A: “Over the next 5-10 years, I hope to see Southeastern more connected to the community working in partnership to improve the health of our citizens. I see Southeastern as leading these efforts in the preventative and outpatient arenas. Southeastern will be less hospital centric but more person/individual centric across the continuum of life. Our goal will be to help individuals improve their personal health and how to manage it.” Q: Is there a service/aspect/component of Southeastern Health that you feel is not well known? Best kept secret? A: “I think there are a number of services offered by Southeastern of which our community may not be fully aware. It the things that I struggle with almost daily is how to get the community to fully support the efforts at Southeastern. We are the sole community provider for Robeson County, although competition is beginning to enter our area. I think one of the things the community needs to understand is that if Southeastern is not supported by the community when services are needed, there are risks to the future survival of the organization (our hospital, our clinics, our hospice house, our home health, etc.). We have been successful in running on a very small margin for decades. As reimbursement is reduced, that puts Southeastern at greater risk. We saw through Hurricane Matthew that people turned to us in a disaster. To keep us here for those times, Southeastern needs the ongoing support of the community by choosing us as the healthcare provider for those services on a routine basis.” Anderson earned a bachelor of nursing degree from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky., and master’s degree in nursing from Bellarmine College in Louisville, Ky. Before joining SeHealth, she served as CEO of Pikeville Medical Center in Pikeville, Ky. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She has represented SeHealth on the state level as the Immediate Past Chair of the North Carolina Hospital Association Board of Directors and as Chair of the Coastal Carolinas Health Alliance Board of Directors. Nationally, she has represented Lumberton and SeHealth as Past Chair for the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Section for Small or Rural Hospitals Governing Council, AHA Committee for Vulnerable Communities as well as the AHA Governing Council. She also serves on several local boards including the Campbell University Board of Directors. She lives in Lumberton with her husband, Terry, and has two sons and three granddaughters. Joann Anderson
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