Award surprises hospital leader
Kris Doody, RN, MSB, and chief executive officer at Cary Medical Center in Caribou, has been named CEO of the Year by Quorum Health Resources. The award was presented at the company’s Annual Leadership Week Aug. 5 in Nashville, Tenn.
Contributed photo
Cary Medical Center CEO Kris Doody, center, was named CEO of the Year by Quorum Health Resources. Presenting her with the award are Mickey Milbrey, left, Quorum president and CEO, and Mike Halstead, Quorum division vice president.
Quorum sought nominations for the award from hundreds of participating hospitals across the country. Doody, who has served Cary Medical Center as CEO since 1999, was surprised by the award and praised her organization for the hospital’s achievements.
“I had no idea,” said Doody, who had traveled to the Nashville meeting unaware. “As I was listening to Quorum’s President Mickey Bilbrey introduce the winner, I did not know he was talking about me until he got down to some specific information.
“I am honored to accept the award on behalf of the outstanding family of caregivers and support staff that has created one of America’s finest rural hospitals right here in Caribou, Maine,” she said.
Doody was born at Cary Medical Center, one of eight children of Lee and Arlene Doody, and worked her way up through the ranks to chief operating officer and then to CEO, achieving local and national recognition. She is a member of the American Hospital Association national board of directors.
Rob Kieffer, chairman of Cary’s board of directors, said Doody has made a tremendous impact on the hospital during her tenure and that she is most deserving of the special recognition.
“Kris Doody is one of those rare individuals that brings such dedication and commitment to her work, always keeping the patient at the center of everything,” said Kieffer, who has twice served as Cary’s board chair. “She also understands the critical role of every team member and has been able to assemble and maintain a strong leadership team as well as to earn the respect and partnership of the hospital’s medical staff. She has helped to sustain the family culture that has made Cary such a special place.”
Contributing to her nomination for the CEO award is the work Doody has done to secure health care services for veterans in Aroostook County. She was successful in establishing a unique, direct contractual relationship with the Veterans Administration through Project ARCH to protect local health care for Aroostook County veterans — work now viewed as a national model by many in both state and federal government.
Another key factor in the recognition was the relationship she has developed between Pines Health Services (PHS) and the hospital. Jim Davis, CEO at Pines, said Doody has put in more than a decade of hard work to establish and grow the relationship.
“Kris built a relationship of confidence, trust and accountability with Pines’ leadership and providers,” said Davis. “The relationship between the two organizations is unique and represents a national model that contrasts with the competitive orientation of many other systems. We share the same goals to serve patients and their families as a way to create healthy communities.”
Under Doody’s leadership, Cary has been recognized by national organizations for quality, including: Top Rural Hospital and “Straight A’s” for safety for four years by the Leapfrog Group; Women’s Choice Award — America’s Best Hospitals for obstetrics for three years; Women’s Choice Award — Women’s Imaging Center, one of America’s Best Breast Centers; top hospital by Health Grades; Program of Excellence” for Camp Adventure, a diabetes camp for children with type 1 diabetes, by the Maine Public Health Association, and Avatar awards for Exceeding Patient Expectations (10 years in a row) and Best Overall Performer Award (five years in a row).
“Kris Doody has attained the highest level of hospital leadership excellence. She defines leadership at every level, making innovative decisions that lead to effective hospital operations, and focusing on meeting the needs of both physicians and patients that comes from her passion for patient care,” said Quorum Health Resources President and CEO, Mickey Bilbrey. “She is a leader that the nation needs, rural health care needs, and Quorum needs at a time of great challenge in our industry.”
Doody began at Cary as a volunteer Candy Striper and at age 18 became a Certified Nurse’s Aide. She earned her degree in nursing at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, her bachelor of science at Regents College in New York and her master of science in business at Husson University.
She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She worked as a staff nurse in various departments at Cary and served as surgical services coordinator for 10 years. She was then named chief operating officer and later served as interim CEO, becoming CEO in 1999.
She has served as chairman of the Maine Community College System board of directors, president of the Maine Hospital Association board of directors, and the board of directors of the Aroostook Partnership for Progress, among numerous other leadership positions, and has received multiple state and national awards.
