Career Pulse

Harb Named EVP, COO at Baystate Health

SPRINGFIELD — Baystate Health announced that Greg Harb, FACHE, has joined the organization as executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Harb will report to Baystate Health President and CEO Mark R. Tolosky, JD, FACHE, and will be responsible for hospital operations throughout Baystate Health and for Baystate Medical Practices, Baystate Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice, and Baystate Health Ambulance.

Before joining Baystate, Harb served from 2006 to early 2011 as chief operating officer of St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System in Savannah, Ga. St. Joseph’s/Candler employs 3,100 people, and includes two hospitals with a total of 625 beds. Harb holds a master’s degree in Health Care Administration from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo., and a master’s of business administration from the University of Memphis’s Fogelman College of Business and Economics in Tennessee.

“I’m very excited to join an integrated health system well-positioned to respond to health care reform and shape the way care is delivered in the years ahead,” said Harb. “I was also interested in joining a system with a strong commitment to education and research, like Baystate Health.”

Harb and his wife, Stacy, have two daughters.

“I’m looking forward to having Greg join our leadership team,” said Tolosky. “Greg is a dynamic leader and collaborator who has succeeded in guiding his organizations through complex challenges, and has achieved outstanding results. His expertise and leadership style complement the high caliber of leadership at Baystate Health.”

Said Harb, “I enjoyed my previous experience working with an integrated system that offered comprehensive pediatric and Level 1 trauma services, and Baystate Health offered that opportunity as well. Working here gives me the opportunity to learn from and contribute to best practices here at Baystate and across the country.

“I was also very impressed with everyone I met during the interview process: Mark Tolosky, the leadership team, the medical staff and the board,” he continued. “ I’m honored to be joining Baystate Health.”

In his spare time, Harb avidly follows his daughters’ sports and music activities, and also enjoys tennis, golf, skiing, saltwater fishing, and reading. The Harbs are active in their church as well.

Bresnahan Chosen As One of ‘Tomorrow’s Leaders’

SPRINGFIELD — Mollie Bresnahan, licensed clinical mental health counselor for Mercy Medical Center’s Health Care for the Homeless program, has been selected by the Catholic Health Assoc. as a recipient of the ‘Tomorrow’s Leaders’ award. This award is part of a new recognition program to “honor young people who will guide the health ministry into the future.”

Bresnahan is one of eight young people from across the country that will form the first class of Tomorrow’s Leaders.

“Mollie is a tremendous asset to Health Care for the Homeless, as well as the entire homeless community of Greater Springfield,” said Doreen Fadus, director of Community Health at Mercy Medical Center. “Mollie’s attention to quality, advocacy skills, compassion for her clients, and ability to see the larger picture when dealing with problematic issues, position her as a role model for our program. Mollie is really wise beyond her years.”

Bresnahan, 28, began her affiliation with Health Care for the Homeless in 2005 as an AmeriCorps member. Now, as a licensed clinical mental health counselor, she assists and coordinates behavioral health services for hundreds of homeless individuals, and ensures that patient needs are being met by a team of providers that includes a psychiatrist, registered nurse, and advanced practiced mental health nurse practitioner. Bresnahan has also served as coordinator for Project Homeless Connect, organizing the medical and behavioral health component of the annual one-day event that was attended by over 750 homeless individuals and drew 70 vendors last year.

“Mollie lives the mission of the Sisters of Providence’s commitment to those who are poor and oppressed, and her efforts truly embrace our founder’s reflection, ‘never rest on what has been done, but rather press forward to what remains to be accomplished,’” said Sister Mary Caritas, SP, vice president of the Sisters of Providence. Mollie has accomplished much, and is a role model for young Catholic leaders for our future.”

Bresnahan will receive the Tomorrow’s Leaders award at the 2011 Catholic Health Assembly in Atlanta in June.

Simpson Selected as ‘Grassroots Champion’

BRATTLEBORO, VT — Dr. Robert Simpson, president and chief executive officer of The Brattleboro Retreat, has been chosen by the American Hospital Association (AHA) as the hospital leader in Vermont who did the most in 2010 to help broaden the base of community support for hospitals, to advocate on behalf of patients, and to deliver the hospital message to elected officials.

“In just a few years, Rob has become a state and national leader on mental health issues,” said M. Bea Grause, president and chief executive officer of the Vermont Assoc. of Hospitals and Health Systems. “His commitment to providing compassionate, effective healing to adults and children has helped to both transform the Brattleboro Retreat and shape state and national policy in many arenas. We are lucky to have him here in Vermont.”

Simpson was recognized on April 12 in Washington, D. C., at the AHA’s 6th annual Breakfast of Grassroots Champions at the Washington Hilton Hotel. The breakfast took place during the AHA’s annual meeting.

“I am honored that advocacy for mental health and addiction services is being recognized, and I see this award as the reflection of our true team effort at the Brattleboro Retreat,” said Simpson. “Everyday we are inspired by the courage of our patients. Our employees are committed to providing excellence in care while advocating for those who may need a voice. At a time when hospitals everywhere have to be more innovative and efficient due to decreasing reimbursements at all levels, our grassroots efforts have never been more important.”

Under Simpson’s leadership, the Brattleboro Retreat recorded 23{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} growth in admissions in 2010. As a result, the hospital has added beds and jobs. This growth surge was well ahead of similar hospitals in the country that grew by an average of three percent in 2010.

“Dr. Simpson earned this special recognition through his dedication to the hospital mission, on both the local and national level, and we are looking forward to thanking him and sharing our deep appreciation for his work,” said Rich Umbdenstock, president and chief executive officer of the AHA.

Simpson said that as a result of the increased patient demand and his hospital’s ability to manage growth, the Brattleboro Retreat is also adding more programs for different groups of patients, ranging from returning soldiers and veterans to young adults who are in need of more treatment and services.

In 2010, the Brattleboro Retreat provided care for approximately 5,250 adults, children and adolescents and experienced as many as 20-24 admissions per day during peak periods. Simpson has been serving the Retreat’s President and CEO since December 2006.

Mercy Appoints Chuang Chief of Thoracic Surgery

SPRINGFIELD — Dr. Neal Chuang has joined the surgical staff at Mercy Medical Center as incoming chief of Thoracic Surgery and director of the Thoracic Surgery Program. Board-certified in General and Thoracic surgery, Chuang is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the Massachusetts Medical Society.

Prior to the appointment at Mercy Medical Center, Chuang practiced in the greater Boston area and in Florida, where he helped establish a minimally invasive thoracic surgery program in community hospitals.

Chuang received his general and cardiothoracic surgical training at New York University Medical Center, and completed a specialized fellowship in minimally invasive thoracic surgery at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, also in New York, where he trained with one of the leading pioneers in the field.

“Mercy Medical Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Chuang to our staff of highly skilled and dedicated clinicians,” said Scott Wolf, D.O., MPH, vice president of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for Mercy Medical Center. “His expertise in minimally invasive thoracic surgery and the surgical management of lung and esophageal pathology will further enhance our services to the local community.”

Parikh Joins Baystate Mary Lane Hospital Staff

WARE — Dr. Pranay Parikh, plastic surgeon and member of Baystate Plastic Surgery, has joined the medial staff at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware.

“Dr. Parikh, who specializes in surgery of the hand and wrist, also brings his experience in the full spectrum of reconstructive and plastic surgery to our hospital,” said Dr. Mohammed S. Ahmed, chief medical officer of Baystate Mary Lane Hospital and Baystate Health Eastern Region.

Parikh earned his medical degree from Alpert Medical School-Brown University in Rhode Island. He completed his residency at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and his fellowship at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

He is a faculty member of the Tufts University School of Medicine, specializing in Plastic Surgery.

“For me, success is restoring my patients’ sense of themselves,’ said Parikh. “Whether restoring a breast cancer patient’s sense of wholeness after mastectomy, or rebuilding an injured hand to allow a worker to get back on the job, getting my patients back to the activities that make them who they are is my greatest pleasure.”

With a special interest in surgery of the hand and wrist, Parikh is backed by the Rehabilitation team at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, which includes Kevin Smith, a certified hand therapist and occupational therapist. Smith will work closely with Parikh to promote healing and provide therapeutic techniques to help patients return to their activities.

Parikh is now seeing patients in the Baystate Medical Practice — Quabbin Adult Medicine office, located at the hospital. He is part of the new multi-specialty group from Baystate Medical Center providing care locally in Ware.

“Dr. Parikh is among the many medical specialists joining Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in our mission to continue to innovate and grow to meet the needs of our community as we provide our patients with seamless accessibility to the finest community-based physicians and programs,” said Ahmed.