GREENFIELD — Hancock Regional Hospital senior vice president for strategy Rob Matt has been named the CEO of Hancock Physician Network.
Hancock Physician Network, which comprises the physicians’, specialists’ and urgent care offices throughout Hancock County, employs some 200 physicians, nurses and staff members, said Hancock Regional Hospital CEO Steve Long.
Matt, a lifelong Greenfield resident, has worked at Hancock Regional Hospital for 15 years and served on the board of directors for four years prior to that, he said.
The role of Hancock Physician Network CEO was previously overseen by Bill Barteau, who left for health reasons, Long said.
“He’s a fantastic guy,” Long said about Matt. “I have full confidence he’s going to take us in a great direction.”
Matt won’t step down from his role as vice president of strategy, Long said. Instead, it makes sense for Matt to lead the physician network, as much of the hospital network’s strategy in the next several years is focused on keeping patients from being so ill they need to be admitted to the hospital, he said.
Health care as an industry has become expensive and not very friendly, Matt said; he said he hopes Hancock Regional can escape being painted with that brush.
“The world of health care is changing pretty dramatically and quickly,” Matt said. “It’s our obligation to create an entity that continues to deliver the highest quality, lowest cost care. That’s our objective and that’s what patients are asking for.”
That strategy starts with trying to make sure there are enough physicians in the network for everyone to be seen in a timely manner, Matt said. He is also making a concerted effort to listen more to providers, hearing what physicians and nurse practitioners have to say about the best way to deliver care with those characteristics, he said.
And the network’s effort to reduce the cost of care can be represented by its plans to build a low-cost diagnostic imaging lab offering full-scale imaging options, including MRI, CT scans, X-rays, ultrasounds, mammography and more, Matt said.
The facility, slated to open in 2019, is planned to be 20,000 to 30,000 square feet on 80 to 100 acres and aims to provide affordable imaging services to residents in the Fortville, McCordsville and New Palestine areas, according to Daily Reporter archives.
The announcement of the facility followed a move late last year by the hospital to begin offering low-cost labs at its physician locations through the website, hancocklabs4u.com, an option targeting those who either can’t afford the cost of labs and screenings at the hospital or whose insurance has restrictively high deductibles.
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Who: Rob Matt
Position: CEO, Hancock Physician Network, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer
Experience with Hancock Health: Joined Hancock family in 1998 when he was a hospital board member. Later joined the hospital leadership team as vice president in 2003. Was instrumental in expanding Hancock Health’s reach with the addition of the Hancock Surgery Center, the expansion of its home medical equipment footprint, the long-term acute care hospital within Hancock Regional, the Jane Pauley Center, the community based employer clinics, and the creation of Suburban Home Health company.
Previous experience: Held various leadership roles with Union Carbide Corporation and Avery Dennison.
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University; a fellow in the College of Healthcare Executives; served for six years in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Family: Wife Marsha; two daughters; two grandsons
Source: hancockregionalhospital.org
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