Paul Hiltz’s appointment as CEO of the Naples Community Hospital (NCH) in 2019 marked the end of a tumultuous time for the medical institution, which was coming off the controversy of a no-confidence vote by physicians for the previous CEO.
Hiltz, formerly head of Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio, had been selected for the role unanimously for his ability to gain consensus and build trust. And the first point of business, as he saw it, was to listen. Hiltz hosted employee town halls and made a point to be more transparent about leadership’s plans and goals for the hospital system. “I’ve enjoyed listening to our staff and physicians and learning from their insights to ensure we have a collaborative culture focused around quality patient care,” he says.
Creating trust with staff enabled Hiltz to quickly pivot and lead the hospital through a pandemic while continuing to develop major projects and strategic initiatives.
From the get-go, Hiltz was clear with the team that he wanted to fast-track NCH’s path to becoming a top 100 hospital in America for cardiac care. In April, Hiltz named Dr. Robert Cubeddu—who was previously with Cleveland Clinic Florida, part of the hospital group that’s consistently ranked as No. 1 in the U.S. for its cardiac program—president of the NCH Heart Institute. The goal is to grow the department into a world-class cardiology program with patients traveling there for treatment and students coming to learn.
A month later, the 8,000-square-foot Judith & Marvin Herb Family Simulation Center opened with the aid of a $5 million gift from the namesake patrons. The center allows practitioners to train through realistic scenarios with advanced technology and mannequins, reducing risk to patients and enhancing young doctors’ education. “We’ve already started seeing the impact, as we’ve learned new treatments to take care of COVID patients,” Hiltz says.
Capping off the summer was the opening of the renovated Whitaker Wellness Center, complete with upgrades to occupational and employee health areas. And, visitors this fall will notice major upgrades to the emergency room when the $35 million renovation wraps. —K.G.