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USHERING A Bright Future FOR OSWEGO HEALTH New leader looks to build on 142-year-old legacy
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swego Health is in a great position, according to Michael C. Backus. It has met the challenges facing health care across the board, he said. “We’ve done that, I think, because of our ability to step in during the pandemic, lead on vaccines, lead on managing patient care — what we are focused on at the end of the day are quality outcomes. That’s a lot of what we’ve worked hard to accomplish,” he said. “That’s the vision I have going forward for Oswego Health.” Backus joined Oswego Health staff as the chief operating officer and executive vice president. He worked alongside former president Michael Harlovic and other members of the senior leadership team to stabilize the health system. “He joined Oswego Health in 2020, in the middle of the coronavirus issue,” said Ed Alberts, chairman of Oswego Health board. “This really gave us a chance to see Mike Backus operate. We knew very, very quickly that this was going to be a great opportunity for Oswego Health. “So, we as a board knew that Mike was the right choice. There are a few times in life when you come across a no-brainer. This falls into that category of no-brainer.” Backus became president and CEO on Jan. 1, following Harlovic’s retirement. The transition was positive. Harlovic and Backus had a seamless transition, the new CEO said. Eliminating as many barriers to health care as possible is a major focus of his. “From the short time that he has been here, he is everything we expected he would be —and more! He’s done a phenomenal job. We couldn’t be more pleased,” Alberts added.
By Stefan Yablonsky Growth “There’s a lot of growth that is potentially going to happen in Central New York. I think Oswego Health is very well positioned in this community to step into those spaces and there’s certainly a lot of development in Fulton that people are going to see going forward,” he said. “We’re definitely seeing more patients than we ever have, especially in primary care. We’ll continue to expand that footprint. That’s the growth that I want for this health system.”
Supporting the staff Backus said his team wants to make sure that staff has the tools and the product at the end of the day to provide the level of care that the community wants. “The pandemic has had an affect not only on our community as a whole but it has also had an affect on our workforce. We want to make sure that they have those support mechanisms in place — that’s a big part of my vision for this health care system,” Backus said. “As a good community member, we’re making sure that we are standing up for our community, our workforce; those people who live here and work for Oswego Health.” “We want to make sure that they have the tools with the ability to build upon all the services that they provide; that they are able to take the time they need to collect themselves and be able to come back refreshed and ready to go and take care of our community,” he continued.
More than Oswego Hospital Oswego Health is 1,200 people or so strong.
“We’re a major employer in the community. We’re not just Oswego Hospital — even though the hospital is a very big sector of our core,” Backus said. Besides the hospital, the system includes two senior facilities, The Manor at Seneca Hill and Springside at Seneca Hill. It also operates Oswego Health Home Care as well as two outpatient centers, including the Fulton Medical Center, the Central Square Medical Center and other services. Behavioral health — there’s such a big need right now, Backus said. He pointed to Oswego Health’s Lakeview Center for Mental Health and Wellness as a prime example. Since it opened in January 2021, it has served thousands of individuals on an outpatient basis. “We were blessed at the end of the year last year to receive a charitable contribution from the Lobdell family of Pulaski. Those kinds of resources in the community are so important,” he said. The Lobdell family donated $1 million to the facility, the single largest donation Oswego Health has ever received. Being able to expand Oswego Health’s primary care footprint is paramount, according to Backus. “Oswego, the entire community, really, has struggled to have those services available,” he said. Because of the high demand for primary care services, in July of last year, Oswego Health expanded access to care by opening a third location in Oswego at 33 E. Schuyler St. Oswego Health has four additional primary care locations throughout Oswego County — two in Fulton and in Oswego. “Some people have gone without a primary care doctor. Making sure people have those resources available so they can go and get those regular check-
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2023 OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
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