Tony Snyder has served as CEO of Millersburg, Ohio-based Pomerene Hospital since 2005.
With an MBA from The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business in Columbus, Mr. Snyder has transitioned Pomerene Hospital from a county-owned facility into a private, nonprofit institution.
On Wednesday, April 19, Mr. Snyder will speak on a panel at the Becker's Hospital Review 8th Annual Meeting. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place April 17 through April 20 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Mr. Snyder's session, click here.
Question: What's one thing that piqued your interest in healthcare?
Tony Snyder: I feel healthcare is a calling. You have a tremendous opportunity to make a difference in a person's life and to a community as a whole. Each day when I leave for the evening, I reflect on the time I have just spent at work and the real measurement of a successful day is whether I was able to make a difference for my organization or my community.
Q: The panel you're speaking on at the April conference is called "Developing 5 to 10 Year Strategies." Could you disclose a few such strategies for success?
TS: Not to overuse the acronym, but healthcare has been and will remain a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world for the foreseeable future. Organizations must remain vigilant in such an environment and look for blind spots. The saying "That's the way we've always done it" is an example. We must not only be willing to change, but even more so, look for ways to improve and drive the change to impact the quality, outcome and cost of the care we deliver. A nimble and flexible organization will have a better chance for success in a VUCA environment.
Q: What do you most enjoy about the Millersburg, Ohio area?
TS: Millersburg is located in Holms County, Ohio, which boasts having the largest Amish community in the world. This creates a culture that is palpable throughout the community and makes the area a terrific place to work and live. Our community is resourceful, entrepreneurial, caring and hardworking. It is a tremendous feeling to know that taking personal responsibility is still important and in practice. There are no strangers in Holmes County.