Cookeville Regional Medical Center introduced Greg Anderson as its new Chief Financial Officer during a Tuesday board meeting.
CEO Buffy Key said Anderson officially joined the hospital on July 6 after previously serving at Emory University in Atlanta and working in Birmingham.
“We’re just thrilled to have him and just wanted to introduce him since we’ve got the media here and all of that, didn’t want to wait till Thursday,” Key said.
Anderson said he brings some 30 years of healthcare experience to the role, having worked his way through the finance ranks as an accounting manager, controller and hospital CFO.
The board meeting marked Anderson’s first public appearance since being hired earlier this month.
“Glad to be here, appreciate the opportunity and look forward to working with you all,” Anderson said.
Anderson said he views his position as a business partner to the rest of the executive team to help develop a strong health system for the community.
“It’s pretty dynamic,” Anderson said. “You know, it’s everything from what I call kind of the blocking and tackling of producing financial reports, the budgeting, but it also goes into a lot of planning, it can go into areas of recruitment and just a whole lot of aspects that affect the business itself.”
Anderson said his primary goals involve contributing to the long-term success of the medical center while ensuring future stability. Anderson said he will play a key role as a coordinator for the budget, organizing inputs from staff and management to meet internal and community needs.
“Knowing that Cookeville Regional Medical Center is the primary healthcare provider for the Cookeville community, you know, the finances are extremely important,” Anderson said. “It’s not just so we can be here next year, the year after, so we can be here the next hundred years.”
Anderson said he was drawn to the position by the professionalism of the staff and the welcoming environment he experienced during his first two weeks. Anderson said he wants the community to know that while his work is serious, he also values having a personal touch.
“Don’t take finance guys as being serious all the time,” Anderson said. “We try to have a lighter side when possible. You know, there’s a lot of serious aspects of it but yeah, you know, we like to joke around and have fun too.”
In other business, Chief Operating Officer Ann Marie Holas-Dryps said cosmetic maintenance on the 4 East unit is complete and crews have transitioned to work on 6 East. Holas-Dryps said the new cardiology office on Oak Street opened July 1 and the hospital is currently upgrading several elevators to ensure they remain up to code.
“We continue to repair ICU patient rooms based on capacity,” Holas-Dryps said. “We’re able to get one or two at a time to be able to do that. So it’s taking a little bit of time because, again, we don’t want to interfere with patient care.”
The board also reviewed June safety data, with a report from Safety Manager Starlena Cope, which included 308 risk reports and 12 instances of workplace violence. Cope said cybersecurity remains a priority after multiple threats were detected during the month.
