LEADER PROFILE
Seeing Hospitals into the Future By Nancy Robertson
T
erry Amstutz arrived at McGehee hospital in January 2019 with the mandate to help it improve its financial health and move toward a sustainable future. “We want to move from survivability to sustainability and beyond,” he says. “Today’s rural hospitals have a tough time making it. Those that become sustainable can help their communities grow and prosper.” Helping small hospitals turn around financially and maintain viability is his specialty. “There are four things required to help hospitals of any size become successful,” Amstutz says. “You must have a good staff in place, providers who plan to stay in the community, a board that’s engaged in moving the hospital forward, and a community that’s supportive and enthusiastic about its hospital. Those are the four key elements that can help a hospital move forward.” Since he first came to Arkansas in 1990, Amstutz has served hospitals in the communities of Calico Rock, Magnolia, Hope, Stuttgart, and McGehee. For a time, he also worked out-of-state to help small hospitals in Texas, North Carolina, and Oklahoma increase their financial vigor. With more than 35 years in senior-level leadership, he is known for bringing hospitals through turnarounds to that realm of sustainability. Arkansas is fortunate to be the beneficiary of his leadership skills, and hospitals that have enjoyed his administrative service have improved in the areas of cashflow, recruiting, capital needs funding, Critical Access Hospital licensure, patient satisfaction, quality improvement, and community involvement. He has led several successful city-wide sales tax campaigns resulting in annual funding for hospital needs and expansion. He credits a willingness to learn, and a God-given skill set, for his ability to help lift small hospitals to reach their potential. “Every time I enter a new hospital, I find I learn new skills that will help another organization in the future,” he says. “Small hospitals experience many different setbacks, but a common thread is financial distress. This can result from a history of inconsistent or inexperienced management, an aging medical staff, or even a population that’s leaving the area, making it impossible for the hospital to grow.”
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