Brian Toomey, CEO of Piedmont Health Services, believes the country needs a concerted effort to abide by the safety protocols laid out by health experts in order to contain the coronavirus, stop the spread of COVID-19 cases and ease the burden on hospitals and medical centers to be able to treat those who do get sick, along with more testing and better contract tracing.
Having attended Wake Forest University, Piedmont Health CEO Brian Toomey knew that North Carolina was a state transitioning from the textile, furniture and manufacturing industries into research and development that would be ideal for the growth of community health care.
When Brian Toomey interviewed for the CEO position at Piedmont Health Services, he told the board of directors that he wanted to help facilitate growth of the organization across the region, and that if board members weren’t serious about expanding health centers and services, they should not hire him.
One of his goals, when Brian Toomey took over as CEO of Piedmont Health Services in 2005, was to open Senior Centers as part of the national PACE program he had observed in Massachusetts. And he knew how to improve a system that had made some mistakes in giving seniors the choice of an active life while living at home.
Piedmont Health Services CEO Brian Toomey increased the annual budget to $72 million, and only 10 percent of it is from federal funding. The rest comes from other donations to the non-profit and, largely, from paid insurance claims from patients who are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies.
Piedmont Health Services provides comprehensive care to all patients. CEO Brian Toomey emphasizes that during the pandemic, people with family and personal hardships should rely on open communication with friends and loved ones, and that PHS offers guidance to anyone needing help by contacting www.piedmonthealth.org
“Reflections” is a recurring series on Chapelboro.com sponsored by Piedmont Health Services that will highlight local healthcare professionals striving with purpose and passion to keep our community happy, healthy and thriving.
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