Jessica Bartlett | Boston Business Journal March 23, 2015
Alan Macdonald is taking the reins at Hallmark Health System at an interesting time.
The newly-appointed CEO must grapple with operating losses, most recently reported in June. Macdonald will also have to grapple with a judge's recent decision that prohibited Partners HealthCare from acquiring Hallmark Health.
Days into the role, Macdonald chatted with the Boston Business Journal on Hallmark's future, his immediate next steps and his plans with Partners.
Alan Macdonald is taking the reins at Hallmark Health System at an interesting time.
The newly-appointed CEO must grapple with operating losses, most recently reported in June. Macdonald will also have to grapple with a judge's recent decision that prohibited Partners HealthCare from acquiring Hallmark Health.
Days into the role, Macdonald chatted with the Boston Business Journal on Hallmark's future, his immediate next steps and his plans with Partners.
What is it like to go from founding the hospital, and being a founding member of its Board of Directors, to leading it?
It’s a big responsibility. I want to do a very good job for all the people that depend on the health care system, and that’s patients as well as employees and physicians and the community in general.
As of most available numbers from June 2014, the hospital was operating at a $4 million loss. What are your short- term plans?
Our short term plan is to invest in ourselves in a number of service areas which are the most significant areas for Hallmark Health. Those are in areas of cardiology, gastroenterology or internal medicine, orthopedics, maternity, cancer care, and behavioral health - those are areas that are significant in the mix for us. There are other areas as well, but we need to be able to invest in recruiting physicians to fill gaps where we have them, and to support the front line of service people who are offering the help here.
Where will that investment money come from?
We have a strong balance sheet. We have two-and-a-half times cash reserves to debt. That will give us an opportunity to borrow and spend our own resources. We do plan to make more investments this year and next with that financial ability.
What are your plans in regards to Partners HealthCare?
My hopes for that is a longer-term plan, and (we) would be able to work more closely with Partners to keep more patients in the community than having to go into the city of Boston for primary or secondary care. That would be a tremendous advantage to the people in our service area that would prefer the convenience and lower cost for the brand of both hallmark and partners healthcare...
You have been in health care a long time – what do you take from that experience with you in this new role?
What I take is the awareness of the changes we’ve made to the payment (model) – from a heavily subsidized system, both private and state, to a system with more consumer elected health care payments. That means we have to be much more aware of the marketplace in health care, that is now much more competitive. We need to appeal to the patients as a consumer, and be aware of the choices patients have of where patients can go to get services. We want to be the first choice for patients in our service area.
It’s a big responsibility. I want to do a very good job for all the people that depend on the health care system, and that’s patients as well as employees and physicians and the community in general.
As of most available numbers from June 2014, the hospital was operating at a $4 million loss. What are your short- term plans?
Our short term plan is to invest in ourselves in a number of service areas which are the most significant areas for Hallmark Health. Those are in areas of cardiology, gastroenterology or internal medicine, orthopedics, maternity, cancer care, and behavioral health - those are areas that are significant in the mix for us. There are other areas as well, but we need to be able to invest in recruiting physicians to fill gaps where we have them, and to support the front line of service people who are offering the help here.
Where will that investment money come from?
We have a strong balance sheet. We have two-and-a-half times cash reserves to debt. That will give us an opportunity to borrow and spend our own resources. We do plan to make more investments this year and next with that financial ability.
What are your plans in regards to Partners HealthCare?
My hopes for that is a longer-term plan, and (we) would be able to work more closely with Partners to keep more patients in the community than having to go into the city of Boston for primary or secondary care. That would be a tremendous advantage to the people in our service area that would prefer the convenience and lower cost for the brand of both hallmark and partners healthcare...
You have been in health care a long time – what do you take from that experience with you in this new role?
What I take is the awareness of the changes we’ve made to the payment (model) – from a heavily subsidized system, both private and state, to a system with more consumer elected health care payments. That means we have to be much more aware of the marketplace in health care, that is now much more competitive. We need to appeal to the patients as a consumer, and be aware of the choices patients have of where patients can go to get services. We want to be the first choice for patients in our service area.
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