Reid Hospital Governing Board
New member brings financial, business experience
John McBride
What the future brings
A need exists for meaningful national discussion on the provision of health care services in the United States today, said John McBride.
“What service, what cost, who gets it, and who provides it” are all questions that must be answered, he said, “to address the tremendous pressure on the complex health care system to provide health services.”
The challenges McBride points out include: “55 million uninsured Americans, obesity and the lack of specialty physicians.”
But McBride is not pessimistic as far as Reid is concerned.
“On the positive side, my brief experience with Reid Hospital has convinced me that we are ready and have well-thought-out plans and strategies to meet these challenges in our market areas.”
McBride grew up in Monroe, MI, and graduated from high school in another Monroe —
Monroe, VA. He attended Catholic University of America as an undergraduate and is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin‘s Graduate School of Banking.
He is a director of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, Wayne County Boys and Girls Club and the Starr-Gennett Foundation.
McBride and his wife, Sheila, are parents of two daughters, Heather and Lindsay, and have one granddaughter, Magdalene.
John McBride sees a
common theme in governance at Reid: “a passion to provide uncommon service . . .”
Since coming to Richmond less than 3 years ago, McBride has served a year on Reid’s Foundation board and joined the governing board in January 2006. From his perspective on both boards, he noted that both are committed to fiscal responsibility.
“This is important,” he said, “as the financial health of our hospital will allow us to meet many of the significant challenges we face in health care.”
McBride, president of West End Bank, brings to the board 22 years of financial services experience and 10 years as a business owner in the manufacturing sector. He also was a member of the board and executive board at Parkview Health Systems in Fort Wayne before coming to Richmond.
“As a business owner,” he said, “I’ve encountered many of the issues businesses face today in providing both cost-effective and meaningful health care.”
McBride said his experience had taught him the following common characteristics for a business to succeed: clear priorities; a performance culture, superior financial results, measurable quality and service and committed individuals. Reid exhibits these characteristics, he said.
He praised the quality and expertise of Reid’s management and fellow board members. All, including medical professionals and the entire Reid family, he said, are committed to achieving Reid’s mission.
McBride is interested in the areas of quality, physician and patient satisfaction and community outreach.
“I’ve seen how complex the relationship between hospitals and physicians is today. Physicians are simultaneously our customers, our partners, our competitors, our distributors and, more commonly, our employees.” He also said that after his initial three months, “I know I’ve got a lot more to learn.”
McBride admits that the “pure enormity of the relocation of the hospital and patients” in the near future is daunting, but it gives Reid an opportunity to further extend its influence in the community.
“I believe we have to continue to market our services, our people, our involvement in the community of Richmond and Wayne County, including our #1 ranked position in quality of care, our economic contribution to the community and our outstanding staff of qualified and committed physicians.”
He suggests that those on Reid’s team ask themselves: “Why Reid? Why are we unique in health care? What do we do best?”
The answers to those questions, McBride said, will help Reid begin to think of how it can promote itself regionally.
“From a community outreach, I envision a regional Reid with specific specialty services that are recognized regionally and in some cases nationally. . . I don’t see any reason why this can’t be achieved.”
“John is a valuable asset to our board because of his background,” said Reid President Barry S. MacDowell. “He also has the unique perspective of serving on a board for a larger hospital. We look forward to his input.”
