New hospital names COO
"I live by this mantra that says do the right thing for the right reason. Put the patient at the center of every decision," Kevin W. Haws said.
By KUAM Newsby Krystal Paco
Guam - It's not his 34 years experience in clinical practice and executive leadership positions in Navy medicine or his prior work as the commanding officer for Naval Hospital Guam that enticed the Guam Regional Medical City leadership team to name Kevin W. Haws their chief operating officer.
"I live by this mantra that says do the right thing for the right reason. Put the patient at the center of every decision," he said. Haws says he knew from the start, when he first met GRMC president and CEO Margaret Bengzon in March, that his vision was aligned with grmc's - where patients are partners. "I think the thing that makes Kevin perfect for this job is not necessarily so evident in his resume. It's really something that you uncover by speaking with him, speaking with the people's he's served, and speaking with the people he's served with. He's a very staunch advocate of the medical city philosophy, which is patient partnership," she said.
Haws says Guam is presently underserved: there are too few hospital beds and millions in healthcare dollars leaving island annually. "Believe me, I'll work as hard as I can for as long as I can to ensure that Guam Regional Medical City is on the map. A lot of work has been done far before I got here or was ever considered for the position and I want to ensure Margaret and the rest of the Guam Regional Medical City that I'm here to deliver on my promise to do whatever it takes to make sure the people in the island of Guam have exactly what they need, which is a new level of healthcare on this island and Guam Regional Medical City is that level of healthcare," he said.
The new hospital will have 130 beds to start, but has room to support 250 hospital beds as well as specialists readily available on island. According to Bengzon, two U.S. firms have been contracted to help with recruitment. In addition, she's receiving dozens of unsolicited resumes, many from former Guam residents attracted to return to the island to serve at the private hospital.