HAMILTON – He’s as likely to share fishing and hunting tips as information about health care.
But for the new CEO of Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital spending your entire life in Montana and then getting to run one of the most up-to-date rural facilities in the state are the perfect combination.
John Bishop takes over this month as the new Chief Executive Officer at MDMH, filling the position where former CEO John Bartos had become a fixture in Montana’s healthcare industry.
But Bishop is no stranger to keeping people healthy in Big Sky Country. He started on the financial side, and was most recently CEO at Madison Valley Medical Center in Ennis — and that experience put him at the top in a nationwide search.
“My wife and I grew up in Montana and we’re excited for the opportunity to come to a rural place to raise our family. Professionally this is a great match for me,” Bishop said.
“It’s a great community. It’s a great hospital. And my experience is in rural communities and I’m excited to deliver that care here and be part of meeting our community’s needs,” he added.
“Well, one of the things we are excited about is the possibility of moving forward from where we are right now. We’re finishing the OR project and that’ll be done probably the end of January,” said MDMH board chairman Bill Bean.
“And then, from that point on, we’re going to follow Mr. Bishop and what his thought are as far as expanding the hospital, programs, services and so on and so forth,” Bean continued.
With experience focused exclusively on Montana healthcare, Bishop sees challenges, but is committed to quality, and says he’s already meeting with staff to incorporate new ideas.
“You know, things can change legislatively, with Medicaid and Medicare and other programs that have a high impact on our small hospitals. And ensuring that we are successful can be a challenge. We have to respond to those changes and make sure that we deliver care effectively in our community,” Bishop told MTN News.
“I was pleased to join this organization and find that we’re in good hands. Our patients have excellent caregivers here, who provide tremendous care at a high level. And that’s a key component in delivering that care,” Bishop added.
Bean feels Bishop will fit right in with the Bitterroot community and the support which has been key to Marcus Daly’s extensive upgrades.
“It sure has. And I think that the most important thing is the involvement of the community with a hospital. Because we are a small, rural hospital and have been for a long time,” Bean said. “And so the most important thing is our customers and our clients and our patients.”
Bishop says it’s an “honor” to be asked lead Marcus Day Memorial Hospital in the years to come.
Reporting by Dennis Bragg for MTN News
