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November 10, 2009
by Tim Krakowiak
Newspaper
A new chief executive officer already familiar with the market was recently hired at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.
Greg Carda returned to Poplar Bluff last month, resuming the top position he left when Health Management Associates took over the hospital in 2003, bringing in its own administration.
“I received such a warm welcome back, it was pretty humbling, and I know I made the right decision,” said Carda, who is 46. “Sure I was happy (working) in the St. Louis area, living on a lake, but I’m comfortable here. I have family in this area, and my wife Lisa’s family is here, so it was a fair trade.”
Born in South Dakota, Carda originally moved to Poplar Bluff in 1969. Prior to taking his last post as chief operating officer at Gateway Regional Medical Center in Edwardsville, Ill., Carda spent more than a decade in administration at PBRMC, beginning as comptroller in 1991.
“I was pretty much everything but chief nursing officer,” Carda said, explaining that he held the titles of practice m a n a g e m e n t executive, chief financial officer, chief operating officer and finally interim CEO.
In the nearterm the hospital’s approximate , 1,200 employees will be under almost entirely new management, Carda noted. Along with his replacing Bruce Eady, who vacated the CEO office in June, a search is currently underway to replace former COO Jon Scott, who left two weeks ago. In addition, Mark Johnson of Reno, Nev., Richard Ervin’s replacement as CFO, is scheduled to begin Monday.
“We’ve had more turnover in the senior ranks than typical,” Carda said. “Our middle management stands to benefit from some stability in leadership.”
Besides boosting employee morale, Carda has plans to work toward building partnerships from regional competition within the medical community like the kind established with the stand alone open heart program, he said.
Major challenges in the future include expanding capacity and support space at the two-campus, 423-bed hospital, according to Carda. “These big decisions take time,” he said.
A certified public accountant as well as a certified management accountant, Carda received bachelor’s degrees in finance and accounting from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He began his higher education at Three Rivers Community College.
Carda said he will remain active in the community through his involvement at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Lions Club and serving as a director of the Boys & Girls Club.
Members of the PBRMC community advisory council, who recommended him for consideration from HMA, agreed that employing Carda again is a longterm investment.
“Having had the opportunity to watch Greg as a young man at the hospital for a number of years in multiple capacities, I knew he had a high regard for Poplar Bluff,” said Herman Styles, co-owner of Colton’s, who has been a member of the board since the medical center was known as Lucy Lee Hospital. “The fact that a lot of employees at the hospital already respect him is important to the everyday operations, from my standpoint.”
President of the advisory council, Phil Santie of Malden, who is a municipal judge, added: “Greg is concerned about Southeast Missouri and will make sure the hospital provides excellence in health care.”
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