William Mahoney is leading the former Skaggs Regional Medical Center into a new era.
Mahoney sat down this morning at Hilton Garden Inn with Springfield Business Journal Editor Eric Olson as part of SBJ's monthly 12 People You Need to Know breakfast interview series.
The hospital, now under the purview of Springfield's CoxHealth system, officially became Cox Medical Center Branson Jan. 1. An 80-day employee of CoxHealth, Mahoney has retained his role as president and CEO of the Branson hospital, leading operations in Taney and Stone counties.
After five consecutive years of mounting operational losses, the deepest of which came in 2009 at $6 million, Skaggs began seeking a financial partner in early 2012. CoxHealth initially was competing with roughly a dozen entities that showed interest in Skaggs and eventually was narrowed down as a finalist with Brentwood, Tenn.-based LifePoint Hospitals. CoxHealth was selected in September, after the now-dissolved Skaggs Board of Trustees voted unanimously on the Springfield health system.
"CoxHealth was chosen, and rightfully so, they should've been," Mahoney said. "(CoxHealth CEO) Steve Edwards had been CEO for less than six months. He said, "... I'm not in here to gut the place.'"
Add a southwest Missouri, patient and community focus, and a partnership was born, Mahoney added.
In his first days with CoxHealth, Mahoney - who reports directly to Edwards - said the new colleagues have discussed facility improvements, physician recruitment, employee benefits and and implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act, which could directly cut more than $2 million from the Branson hospital's operations.
"ACA is already the law of the land. We don't care about politics; we care about the patient," he said.
Still, he noted the health care and business communities are swimming in largely uncertain waters.
"Not all of the law has been interpreted yet. We're still not sure where it's going to go," said Mahoney, who noted its the job of health care systems and executives to pay attention to what's going on, similar to how a real estate agent would continually eye the housing market.
A hot-button issue, Mahoney said Medicaid expansion in Missouri is necessary, especially given potential cuts to hospitals via ACA legislation. He said it's a problem in Stone and Taney counties, where 25 percent of residents and 10 percent of Cox Medical Center Branson's patients have no health insurance.
Yesterday, some 30 business groups - including the Branson, Springfield and Bolivar chambers of commerce - declared their support of Medicaid expansion in Missouri.
Mahoney estimated a three- to six-month timetable on ACA penalties hitting more vehemently.
"I think human nature is not to act too much until you're feeling some pain," he said of the current environment and confusion regarding impending changes.
Mahoney said through Medicaid expansion, Cox Medical Center Branson would receive roughly $1 million more in federal funding this year.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
