NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System Board President Allen Fee introduced new system CEO, Benjamin Anderson, at a public event Wednesday morning at the hospital pavilion.
"It's really rare when talent, opportunity, timing and fit come together," Fee said. "It did. We're lucky. We feel very fortunate. The permanent position has been open since last November. We've had numerous inquiries from search firms, candidates interested in the open position. The Board had made the decision, we need to get some stability within the system, we need to make some changes and we need to get some things done. We had held off on an extensive search until August, when we got an email from Benjamin Anderson."
Anderson said the goal of his moving back to Kansas was to be closer to family. His wife's family has land in northeast Kansas near Sabetha.
"He was going to be moving his family," Fee said. "He was looking at several opportunities. He was very interested in the opportunity we had here in Hutchinson. That led to several meetings, vetting, met with the board several times, met with leadership at the hospital. He was on kind of a tight window, in terms of when he was going to be making a move, end of October, first part of November. After our board and leadership in the system had spent some time with Ben, the orders to me were pretty clear. Don't lose this guy."
Anderson understands that leadership and vision are vital, but it really does come down to caring. It comes down to making sure those who take care of patients really have the time and resources to use their healing gifts to the maximum amount, so that people not only feel better when they leave, but they are better, for the rest of their life.
"Your job as a CEO is to help doctors and nurses help other people," Anderson said. "If you're not effective doing that, they ought to get rid of you. What good are you? Really. I mean, it's more complex than that, right? Develop vision, strategy, there's community engagement is important, but the bottom line is, we help caregivers help other people. We do that through developing systems that makes it easier for the caregiver to help the people. That involves financial systems and strategic and operational stuff and it's complex, but really, I feel called into that."
During the four years prior to joining HRHS, Benjamin served as Vice President for Rural Health and Hospitals at the Colorado Hospital Association. Before his move to Colorado, Benjamin served as CEO of Kearny County Hospital in Lakin.
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