by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
It’s been a busy month for Moody Chisholm Jr., the new president and CEO of St. Vincent’s HealthCare. The day after Easter, April 5, he started the position and he’s been working marathon days since.
In addition to overseeing the entire St. Vincent’s system, which includes St. Vincent’s Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, St. Catherine Laboure Manor and a handful of area primary care facilities, Moody has been shaking as many hands as possible and looking for a house to buy.
If Wednesday’s meet-and-greet with the St. Vincent’s Foundation, community leaders and media is any indication, Chisholm is doing just fine so far.
Chisholm was born in Winter Haven and grew up in Lakeland. He has two bachelor’s degrees from Appalachian State University: a bachelor of administration in health-care management and a bachelor of science in economics. Chisholm has an MBA from Nova Southeastern University.
Before joining St. Vincent’s, Chisholm was with Universal Health Systems for 24 years. St. Vincent’s is a member of Ascension Health, America’s largest Catholic and largest nonprofit health system.
Wednesday, Moody talked about the job, the mission of St. Vincent’s, his start in health care and his plans for the health care system.
What is your goal or mission?
We have all kinds of backgrounds and faiths and I love that this an inclusive community. I am proud to be a part of such a long-standing tradition. The ministry is strong. We are working to expand the ministry and other parts of the system.
We are committed to serving all who are in need of spiritual and holistic care.
What is your role?
I’m going to be a very hard worker for this ministry. Today is my ninth day and in those nine days I am sure I have put in 25 days of work. That’s what I enjoy doing. We will expand through our wonderful associates and clinicians.
The most important thing is that at St. Vincent’s HealthCare, we will set ourselves apart through competent and friendly associates. We have over 4,000 associates and 1,000 physicians.
I want this to be an all-encompassing location for those who want to touch the lives of others.
What is your background?
I did my residency in physical therapy and soon found out my abilities were in other things, such as business, journalism and math. I eventually found my calling in business administration and majored in economics at Appalachian State.
I got my start in housekeeping and I am proud of that. I have two bachelor’s degrees and I started in housekeeping in a hospital, taking out the trash and making beds.
It was a wonderful experience for me and I have great respect for those on the service side. Many of them have challenging lives outside of work. They are hard workers and they are always smiling.
What is your management philosophy?
I am glad to have the opportunity to lead this organization. We value everyone and their contributions. We value them on much more important things, such as leadership and compassion.
Part of valuing everybody is making sure everyone has a voice. I don’t want to have a ministry where we control our physicians. That is not what we want.
We will also set ourselves apart in safety and quality. While I am speaking today, 10 people will die in hospitals across the nation due to mistakes. We are at the point where almost 100 percent of our nurses are certified in high-risk OB care. We have to be very attentive to our policies and procedures.
What does the future hold for the St. Vincent’s system?
We have to adapt to the changing needs of this community and we will. We are focused on that every day.
What’s the future of St. Luke’s?
It continues to grow and we are proud of that growth. We have gotten more commitment from the physicians and we are proud of that campus. That campus is a significant part of our future. It’s in a growing region.
Have you found a house yet?
My family is still in Bradenton and I am living in an apartment a few doors down, but I am not there much of the time. My Realtor has informed me our offer has been accepted on a home in Ortega. My family is coming in June.
What’s the easiest part of the job?
Working with such committed, friendly people makes the job easy. They care about this place. A lot of them have been here 30-plus years. Being friendly is easy and it makes the day go faster.
What’s the hardest part of the job?
There is so much to be done.
What do you do outside of work?
My family is the big thing. I am blessed with a 4-year-old girl, a son who is 5 and a wonderful wife. The best years of my life have been the last six years. I celebrated my wedding anniversary last week. I play lots of sports and have lots of hobbies, but I rarely get to participate these days.
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