New CEO to take helm of BVHS

Myron Lewis has been named the next president and CEO of Blanchard Valley Health System. Lewis will start in the role on Jan. 11, 2021, upon the retirement of current president and CEO Scott Malaney. Lewis is currently Spectrum Health southwest regional market leader, president at Spectrum Health Zeeland Community Hospital in Zeeland, Michigan, and vice president of radiology services for the health system. He said it's "a real honor and privilege" to join Blanchard Valley Health System, and called the people who work there "extraordinary." "This organization has a lot to be proud of," he said. Lewis said he plans to understand and respect the institution's history when he arrives. He noted that, amid the tumult of the COVID-19 pandemic, he's been hearing reports of Blanchard Valley employees affirming, "We've got this." "The heart and soul of the organization have done a magnificent job," Malaney said. Lewis began his own career as a social worker, in a role that included helping hospital patients determine their discharge plans. He said he became a social worker because he wanted to help people and to make a difference. After providing direct patient care at Catholic Social Services and Metro Health Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Lewis transitioned into hospital leadership, hoping that he could make a bigger difference by helping other leaders. Over time, he said, he has learned that "together, we can be more than an individual." In 1998 he worked at McLaren Northern Michigan in Petoskey, Michigan, where he started as the manager of rehabilitation and ancillary services and then became the lead for the neuroscience and orthopaedic service lines, as well as physician offices. He joined Indiana University Health South Central Region in Bloomington in 2006 as the executive director of the orthopaedic and neuroscience service lines and oversaw the opening of a new 11,500-square-foot outpatient rehabilitation and sports medicine facility. In 2011, Lewis became the administrative director of Indiana University Health Saxony Hospital in Fishers, Indiana. In 2013, Lewis joined the Community Health Network in Indianapolis, a health system with nine hospitals, 15,000 employees and nearly 1,000 employed providers. He started as the network vice president of the neuroscience service line and became chief operating officer at the health system's 205-bed facility, Community Hospital East, East Region. Lewis is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has master of social work and master of business administration degrees. Tricia Woodland, director of human resources at BVHS, said a lot of time and effort was spent searching for candidates who were representative of the institution's culture and the community. Paul Worstell, chairman of the health system's board of trustees, said Malaney told the board about a year or so ago that he planned to retire at the end of 2020. Five months ago, a search committee using a consultant firm began looking for a new CEO. Worstell said they invited three candidates for an on-site visit. While they were "very, very pleased" with all three, Worstell said Lewis seemed like a "perfect fit. … His style fit our work culture." Lewis, in turn, said the health system seemed like a "perfect fit" for him as well. "It's a community, and a very dedicated community, a passionate community," he said. Lewis said he looks forward to meeting others in the community, including representatives of both businesses and nonprofits — even if he may have to "meet" them a little differently, or virtually, due to the pandemic. Given the pandemic, no one can predict what health care will look like in January. Malaney said Blanchard Valley recently had to create a budget and operating plan for 2021, but there is a lot that's uncertain. Lewis said the health system will need to continue providing care and "treating everyone as if they are family." He said much of his time at the beginning will involve managing the pandemic, but "we will get to the other side." Lewis said staff are "our most important asset" and the health system must support them. Blanchard Valley Health System, by its own description, provides "a total continuum of care to more than 100,000 households in an eight-county area." In addition to Blanchard Valley and Bluffton hospitals, the health system operates Bridge Home Health and Hospice, many physician practices, the Carey Medical Center, and the nursing homes Birchaven (in Findlay) and Independence House (in Fostoria), among other endeavors. It employs more than 3,100 people. Worstell said Malaney will remain available during the transition if needed. Many things are unpredictable amid the pandemic, but the goal is to have a "logical, smooth transition," he said.