Goodall CEO Takes New Position
Goodall Hospital President and CEO Darlene Stromstad announced today that she will be leaving the organization to accept the CEO position at Waterbury Hospital in Waterbury, CT. She will remain in her role at Goodall through the end of May.
Stromstad became CEO of Goodall six years ago when the Board of Trustees made the decision to strategically reposition the hospital to address the changing health care needs of the community. While numerous initiatives resulted in significant growth in the hospital’s volumes, the economic downturn of 2008 and 2009 resulted in unprecedented financial challenges to Goodall.
“Darlene has been a great steward of this organization and a tremendous advocate for our patients, our employees and our medical staff. Especially during the recent economic downturn, she exhibited a tireless dedication that brought stability to the hospital,” said Mark Mickeriz, Chairman of the Goodall Hospital Board of Trustees. “Under her leadership Goodall Hospital has grown significantly and today is a healthy and vibrant healthcare organization.”
During Stromstad’s tenure at Goodall, the hospital implemented an aggressive outpatient strategy, recruited numerous physicians, improved its quality scores and built a reputation as a caring business in the community. She became known in the state’s hospital industry for her advocacy for payment of overdue MaineCare (Medicaid) settlements, a position supported by newly elected Governor Paul LePage. Goodall is expecting to be paid several million dollars later this month of the $10 million owed through FY10.
“The time is right,” Stromstad said of her departure. “Goodall is in strong shape and is once again considering exploring membership in MaineHealth (the state’s largest healthcare system). I am very proud of this organization and the work I’ve done here. And now it’s time for me to use my experience and energy for new challenges.”
Stromstad said she is not only comfortable with, but also invigorated by, the prospect of learning the unique dynamics of a new market place. “Every community and every healthcare organization is different. My experience of living and working in various environments will be valuable in this new position.”
“But who I am remains the same. Nonprofit hospitals are all about the community, and so am I,” she said. Stromstad said her training as a “servant leader” and champion of quality patient care gives her the focus to make difficult decisions while keeping staff motivated.
Stromstad is presently a board member of the Sanford-Springvale Chamber of Commerce, the Maine Hospital Association and the community’s Growth Council. She is a past board member of the York County United Way and has chaired the American Heart Association’s Red Dress campaign for York County. She is chair of the Synernet board, which is a regional hospital-owned services business.
Last March, Stromstad was elected to the national Board of Governors of the prestigious American College of Healthcare Executives for a three year term.
Stromstad will assume her duties at Waterbury Hospital in early July. Waterbury Hospital is a private, non-profit acute care teaching hospital licensed for 367 beds and affiliated with the Yale School of Medicine, the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. The hospital is currently in the process of undertaking new initiatives to build patient volume, including the creation of more private rooms, major Operating Room renovations, and the addition of a new catheterization lab later this spring.
Prior to becoming CEO of Goodall Hospital in 2005, Stromstad was senior vice president at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH, a 320-bed community and tertiary heart hospital. She also worked for Massachusetts-based Olympus Healthcare, a post acute care provider, and prior to that she was a vice president at St. Joseph Healthcare in Nashua, NH.
A native of North Dakota, Stromstad has her BA from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and her MBA from Rivier College in Nashua.
