A seasoned leader, Tom has more than 30 years of healthcare administration expertise, most recently serving as president of Carney Hospital and chief operating officer of Good Samaritan Hospital, both in Boston. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in successive leadership roles at Navicent Health, a 637-bed teaching hospital in Georgia. As a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), Tom brings the distinction of board certification in healthcare management to our hospitals.

Tom places a high priority on connecting with patients and staff through words, deeds, and acts of service. Having joined our hospitals midway through the COVID-19 pandemic, Tom notes, “I have been in the same storm, but on a different ship.” Today he is committed to a vision of Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals being the best places to give and receive care, not only now, but as we plan for the future. “Our shared mission is to stay true to who we are as community hospitals,” says Tom.

Recently, we sat down with Tom to learn about his unique leadership style, his focus areas and strategic vision, and his approach to philanthropy.

What best prepared you for this role?

My whole career has given me a unique understanding of community healthcare and hospital systems. At Carney Hospital in Dorchester, as well as Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, I led teams focused on improving patient-centered care and the patient and family experience. As we increased our offerings and put new initiatives in place, we saw volumes increase. The importance of centering care around the patient and family experience cannot be overstated. There have been so many valuable moments throughout my career. You add them up, and collectively those moments bring me to where I am today.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I aim to use information and data to guide decision-making, simplifying things that can be seen as complex to drive strategy and move us forward successfully. So I would say I am thoughtful, and yet focused on execution. I’m a good listener. Most importantly, I value people. Our employees are the heart and soul of Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals. And I want them to know how much I value that. Recently, I wore scrubs and worked with our environmental services team, and I’ve done so alongside many other teams, as well. Being in that space with our staff is incredibly important to me. Being a leader means it’s not about me—it’s about us working together as a team.

What are some of your priority initiatives?

My continuing focus is to enhance our already-strong culture. Positive and open communication is good for everyone, and it’s important for leadership to listen to feedback from staff. Since the start of my tenure here, I have been conducting listening sessions with staff, which have taught me so much. I truly believe in the importance of hearing all voices.

Other priorities include continuing to grow in our areas of strength, including quality and safety, patient-centered care, and our workplace culture, which is built on trust. Our patients trust us, our communities trust us, and our staff members trust us. Another priority is to continue to inspire others to join forces with us to help invest in our future. Our goal is to be the very best community hospitals we can be.

What is unique about the culture at Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals?

I’ve never seen a more committed medical staff, and I’m thankful for their ongoing efforts. Something quite unique is the fact that we have many multigenerational families who live here in our community, receive care here, and who work at our hospitals. Livelihood is maintained here. That’s remarkably special, and we want to support and sustain that. Our hospitals are truly the perfect size—we are big enough to serve you, and yet small enough to know you.

What’s your view on philanthropy and its role in the hospitals’ future?

Every gift, no matter its size, is valued and contributes to the strength of our hospitals. We strive to find a place for all donors, as every dollar makes a difference. And we need our entire community behind us.

Going forward, my focus is on ensuring that our organizations continue to thrive. My attention is on lifting up and developing our dedicated workforce, which is the essence of who we are. Philanthropic investment is vitally needed to support our talented teams, so they can continue to serve in amazing ways. Again, it’s all about people—our patients, our staff, and our community members.