Ms. Prybylo will retire May 1 as president of the 112-bed hospital and as senior vice president of Andover, Mass.-based Covenant Health.
Community hospitals, especially in rural communities, are the backbone of the U.S. healthcare system, Ms. Prybylo told Becker’s. One of her proudest achievements has been reinforcing St. Joseph’s role as a community hospital.
“I’ve always believed that you need to sit on your doorstep and look out to see what the issues are, and that the community owns our hospital,” she said. “We are now known as a convener and an integrator. We can’t solve all the problems of our community, but we can certainly bring people together around the table.”
Ms. Prybylo’s philosophy and commitment to the community have been reflected in her convening of a community health leadership board and the development of the Sexual Assault and Forensic Examiner nursing program, which ensures 24/7 access to nurses trained to care for victims of violence.
She also helped form an accountable care organization — Community Care Partnership of Maine — which is independently operated, unlike many other ACOs, she said. Ms. Prybylo said the group serves as an important support network for community hospitals and federal quality health centers throughout Maine.
Expanding age-friendly care
Located in the state with the oldest population in the U.S., St. Joseph has strengthened its primary and specialty care network under Ms. Prybylo’s leadership, improving access for older adults. The hospital has also developed a hub-and-spoke model to support rural communities, addressing high morbidity and mortality rates in these areas.
Ms. Prybylo will continue focusing on age-friendly care after her retirement. She is set to complete her PhD in nursing in August, with research centered on enhancing care for older adults.
Her research examines how patients’ self-reported health assessments — gathered during Medicare wellness visits — can serve as a predictive tool. Research has shown that patients with lower self-reported health assessments have a much lower life expectancy than those with high self-assessments.
“My research focuses on trying to use that as a risk stratifier, almost as another vital sign, to be able to assess patients and develop a plan of care,” she said.
Ms. Prybylo will also remain involved with the Community Care Partnership of Maine as its chief research and innovation officer. The organization is collaborating with Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania to implement and adapt its transitional care management model for rural communities with limited access to nurses. The pilot program, set to launch in March, aims to provide better care coordination for patients with chronic conditions across the care continuum.
Leadership advice
Reflecting on her career, Ms. Prybylo said great leadership comes down to instilling a sense of purpose in teams.
“If you don’t grab the hearts and minds of the people that you’re working with, they’re not going to follow what you’re telling them to do,” she said.
Throughout her tenure, and especially during the pandemic, Ms. Prybylo saw firsthand the flexibility and innovation of healthcare workers, as well as the heavy burdens they carry.
“Always be aware of what challenges the staff has, particularly direct caregivers,” she said. “Recognize that your workforce is made up of humans who carry a lot of burdens, and they’re still coming into work every day and doing a phenomenal job. We need to support them in that work, but also in totality, in terms of their lives.”
