Introducing Raymond Hino, MCDH CEO

11/27/06

CEO Raymond T. Hino

Raymond T. Hino began his tenure as the hospital’s CEO on November 13, 2006.  During his first two weeks in office, Hino has made rounds and talked with as many members of staff and management as possible.  He has also participated in committee meetings and has met with various community members. Hino is quickly earning respect and support both within the hospital and in the community.

Hino joins MCDH from Tehachapi, California.  He brings many years’ experience as a hospital administrator, including experience with small, rural District Hospitals and successful financial turnarounds.  The following is an interview with Hino.

In your first two weeks, what is your impression of MCDH?

RH: I am very impressed with the quality of the staff, the Medical Staff and the Board, as well as with the physical facility itself.  There is a marvelous opportunity here to develop an organization that could be a model for rural hospitals across the country.  It’s up to all of us working together to turn things around.

What have you heard from hospital employees so far?

RH:  I’ve heard that they are looking forward to change.  I’ve also received a lot of kind welcomes.

What is your assessment of the challenges faced by the hospital?

RH:  I have identified seven challenges that face the hospital right now, and these will be my main area of focus.  We must build our patient volumes, both in inpatient and outpatient areas.  Ideally we will have an average daily census of at least 18 inpatients, which is the level at which we can be financially the most stable.

         We must work to increase local physician referrals to MCDH – we offer a wide array of very high quality services locally so that patients will not have to go out of the area for their health care.  The Hospitalist physician program must be stabilized, which will allow local physicians to focus on their practices while knowing that their hospitalized patients are well-taken care of. 

         Cash flow at the hospital will still be tight for many months, so we must control our expenses.  We need to be creative in exploring potential new services, such as holistic health services and additional surgical specialties.  Another priority area is to improve the physical plant to bring it up to the appearance of the Patient Services Building. And finally, we need to explore the feasibility of acquiring the Rural Health Care license from Mendocino Medical Associates, which hopefully will be of benefit to both organizations.

Are these challenges unique to our hospital?

RH: No, these are fairly common challenges in small rural hospitals.  There is not anything on this list of challenges that I haven’t seen before or dealt with in previous organizations.

What is your philosophy/approach to hospital administration?

RH:  My philosophy or approach is that it takes a team effort.  You want to get the very best people in place and allow them to do their jobs.  You want a healthy dialog amongst management and staff, and you want a group of problem solvers.

Why were you interested in becoming MCDH’s CEO?

RH:  I was interested because this is a step up from what I’ve been doing for the past eight years (as CEO of Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District Hospital).  That was not a full-service hospital, while MCDH is.  I was looking for new challenges and an opportunity to be part of a growing organization that can make a real difference in its community.

Do you anticipate making changes in the programs and services provided by the hospital?

RH:  I would say yes, though not right away.  There is not an immediate need.  We need to evaluate all the services we provide, and look for potential new services to offer to the community.

Do you think that our recently achieved Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status is a good thing for our community?

RH:  Absolutely. Having gone through the process of converting to a CAH in my previous position, I know that it can be a transparent process and does not need to change the services we offer.  There are new limitations on the number of beds we have and on the average length of stay for acute patients, but these limitations are not a barrier for this facility.  We can continue to provide the same range of services.

         The CAH program has proven to be a life-saver for hundreds of hospitals throughout the United States.  It saved the hospital in Tehachapi, which would have closed years ago without the CAH designation.  This community will not see a big change in services as a result of CAH status.

The hospital has recently considered several options for raising additional funds, including a parcel tax, bond or capital campaign.  What is your opinion on this subject?

RH:  We need to show the community that we’re doing something to help ourselves instead of looking for a handout in the form of a parcel tax.  Achieving CAH status is an example of us helping ourselves.  I believe that the new fundraising program/capital campaign is very important and is an opportunity to incorporate local philanthropic support for our institution.  I see this as a very viable option to increasing tax support of MCDH.

         Some additional financial support for the hospital is absolutely necessary.  It is not a good time for a new tax, and won’t be anytime soon.  In the meantime, we must show that we can help ourselves.

How do you define your role as the Hospital’s leader within the community?

RH:  I see myself as the “face” of the Hospital, as someone people can approach and identify as the presence of the Hospital.  I plan to be very involved in the community in local service organizations, the Chamber of Commerce and support organizations.  I have always been actively involved in the communities in which I work, and plan to do so here.

How about a bit of personal information?

RH: I was born in Hollywood, California, and raised in Pomona, in Southern California.  I earned two degrees from the University of Southern California: a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, and a master’s degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Health Care Administration.

         I have worked in hospital administration for 28 years in a variety of hospital settings and hospital sizes, from a 16-bed acute hospital with an attached 38-bed skilled nursing facility in Montana to a 429-bed acute general hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.  I have worked in California, Texas, New Mexico, Idaho and Montana.  My emphasis for the past 15 years has been on rural hospitals, and I have received national recognition for my rural hospital work, including being appointed to the American Hospital Association Board of Directors earlier this year.

         My wife Gayle and I have been married for 20 years.  We don’t have kids, but we do have lots of animals, and right now we have a horse, dog, three cats and a bird.  In memory of the cat and dog lost earlier this year, we will contribute to the MCDH Hospice Christmas giving tree.

         People often ask me about my last name.  Hino is a Japanese name.  My father is Japanese-American, and my mother is Scotch-Irish.  I get my height from her.

Anything else you’d like to share with the community?

RH:  I think that this is a very exciting time at MCDH and for our entire community.  I am looking forward to all of the challenges that we will be facing in both the short term and the long term.  I am very glad to be here.