To the editor:
I have recently had the pleasure of joining Fairview Hospital as interim vice president and would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to my South County neighbors, as well as to the larger Berkshire Health Systems community.
As soon as I walked into Fairview Hospital, I was greeted by its dedicated team of caregivers and professionals who treat every person they meet with the highest level of kindness and compassion. In the weeks since then, I have had the honor of observing and better understanding Fairview and the important role it plays within the larger healthcare delivery system of Berkshire County.
If you’re wondering a little about me, I proudly retired from the U.S. Army as a Colonel, serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Desert Shield, Desert Storm. I transitioned my experience as a military-operations leader to a successful career serving as the CEO of various rural healthcare facilities and critical access hospitals across the country. I am proud that I have been able to help support numerous critical access hospitals and rural hospitals in their efforts to thoughtfully use their limited resources to effectively care for patients in small communities.
As a critical access hospital, Fairview Hospital helps keep South County patients close to home whenever possible and facilitate the transition to higher levels of care when needed. I commend the team at Fairview for the work they do in serving as the first point of healthcare contact for some of the most rural areas in Berkshire County. My past experience working in rural hospitals across the country has shown me a lot of different healthcare environments, and I have been impressed to see the extent of sophisticated treatments and services available to patients in this region who use the front door of Fairview Hospital to tap into the broader Berkshire Health Systems network.
Berkshire Health Systems is currently engaged in a nationwide search to appoint the next permanent leader of Fairview Hospital, and I support the BHS Executive Team in their commitment to ensuring that the new leader understands the value of Fairview Hospital as a trusted resource for healthcare in Southern Berkshire County. Though my position here at Fairview is temporary, I am committed to maintaining the hospital’s strong legacy of critical access to excellent care and am excited to continue working to help Fairview meet the future challenges of rural healthcare head-on.
Emmett C. Schuster
Interim vice president of Fairview Hospital
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