The editorial board of the Minnesota newspaper Star Tribune offered some advice for Mayo Clinic's CEO appointee Gianrico Farrugia, MD, in a Aug. 14 editorial.
The Rochester, Minn.-based health system said Aug. 10 that Dr. Farrugia would replace current CEO John Noseworthy, MD, after he retires at the end of the year. Dr. Farrugia not only has big shoes to fill, but according to Mayo's neighborhood newspaper, it's also time for the health system to work on rebuilding trust in the communities it serves.
According to the Star Tribune, regional trust has floundered since Mayo's 2017 decision to switch up services at its Albert Lea, Minn., and Austin, Minn., facilities, along with reducing its offerings at several other facilities.
"The tensions have not gone away despite aloof assurances from Mayo leaders that consolidation is necessary to achieve cost efficiencies. Nor do Mayo leaders' mea culpas about mishandled communications assuage fears about having to drive elsewhere if a loved one is having a baby or needs hospital care," the editorial board wrote.
The editorial boards described Dr. Noseworthy's tenure as marked by Mayo's reliance on state funds to become a "destination medical center," which included the state's $585 million public infrastructure investment in 2013 to help meet this goal. However, smaller cities in the state — like Albert Lea and Austin — need a full-service healthcare facility to drive their own economies.
"A nonprofit health system like Mayo, especially one with deep financial resources, must broaden its vision to include the well-being of the communities it serves," the editorial board wrote.
"[Dr.] Farrugia needs to ensure that metrics measuring satisfaction with services provided on Mayo's regional home turf are included and given priority in evaluations of the medical center's overall performance. As he officially takes over after [Dr.] Noseworthy's end-of-the-year retirement, [Dr.] Farrugia would do well to add 'community care' to his already-daunting agenda and make clear to his talented staff that Mayo must do better," the Star Tribune concludes.
To read the complete editorial in the Star Tribune, click here.