A local healthcare professional has completed a leadership development course.
Michael Padgett, Emergency Medical Services Director for the Washington County Regional Medical Center, recently graduated from the HomeTown Health Executive Leadership Program.
EMS Director Padgett was one of only eleven individuals to finalize the program. He was recognized at the 25th Annual HomeTown Health Fall Conference at Callaway Gardens.
The HomeTown Health Executive Leadership Program is designed to provide leadership candidates in the healthcare industry with the needed tools and information to become future Senior Executives, Senior Managers, and Directors.
A network of rural hospitals and healthcare providers, HomeTown Health pursues the best practices to help its membership survive in a medical environment of constant change in reimbursement, operations and technology. The vision of HomeTown Health is to support rural healthcare organizations in providing high quality, accessible, and competitive care through a heavily regulated and increasingly technology-dependent environment.
“The turnover rate in administration and key leadership positions within rural hospitals is staggering and unnerving,” said Jimmy Lewis, CEO of HomeTown Health. “We decided many years ago that it was valuable for hospitals to identify personnel with leadership skills and then capitalize and grow these individuals into capable, competent, and confident leaders dedicated to the long-term success of their facilities. After some time, we expanded the program to our business partners who wish to raise leaders within their organizations. Our goal for all participants is to strengthen, equip, and encourage them to be the best leader that they can be within the organization that they serve.”
WCRMC EMS Director Michael Padgett underwent 11 months of in-person training through the HomeTown Health Executive Leadership Program that began in January.
He participated in Rural Hospital CEO Leadership Day at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta and a Leadership Retreat at Little Ocmulgee State Park & Lodge in McRae.
Padgett completed in-person and online training in care and compliance, hospital finance, liability, communication, and facilitation.
“I was honored to be a part of this longstanding and effective program, learning much about leadership in the context of rural healthcare,” said Michael Padgett. “I’m very excited to incorporate these learnings into my role as Emergency Medical Services Director to better serve our patients and families, my fellow employees at WCRMC, and the Washington and surrounding county community as a whole.”
For more than 50 years, Washington County Regional Medical Center has attempted to provide high quality, patient centered care. The 56-bed hospital, with a 60-bed extended care facility, offers comprehensive inpatient and outpatient surgery, a 24-hour physician staffed emergency room, an imaging center, rehabilitation services, respiratory therapy, cardiac rehab, swing-bed, ICU, telemedicine, and ambulance service.
