"We tackle some tough problems"
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| Jim Moss, far left, CEO and President of Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, and Dr. Charles Hertz, hospital Chief of Staff, go over a hospital issue. |
Dr. Hertz, a gastroenterologist at Medical Specialty Clinic, was elected Chief of Staff by the more than 200 physicians who have privileges to practice at the hospital.
The position represents a six-year commitment of time. First, Dr. Hertz served two years as Vice Chief of Staff. After his current term of Chief of Staff ends in January 2006, he’ll serve two more years as Immediate Past Chief of Staff.
“I saw it as a chance to be of service to a system that I really admire,” says Dr. Hertz. “This is a place where doctors can be proud to practice.”
Dr. Hertz has a history of involvement and service to his community. He is president of the West Tennessee Alliance for Healthcare, past president of the West Tennessee Physicians’ Alliance and past chairman of the hospital’s Department of Medicine; and he recently finished a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce. He also has served on many other committees within the medical community.
As Chief of Staff, Dr. Hertz has various duties added to his already hectic schedule as a gastroenterologist. Dr. Hertz attends all hospital board meetings and as many as half a dozen other formal meetings each month, as well as innumerable informal meetings with Dr. Paul Caudill, vice president of Medical Affairs; Jim Moss, hospital CEO; and others.
“I have no idea how many hours I spend on this,” he says. “Even on vacation, I’m always in touch be e-mail.”
His Chief of Staff responsibilities include dealing with a variety of issues and conflicts, often with the help of ad hoc committees (which he is responsible for creating). Current “hot topics” include issues revolving around patient transfers between medical institutions, and credentialing issues for procedures crossing the usual specialty lines. “We tackle some tough problems,” Dr. Hertz says.
Being Chief of Staff also allows Dr. Hertz to see the medical opportunities for Jackson and the rest of West Tennessee.
“For a town of this size,” says Dr. Hertz, “we have an amazingly sophisticated health care system – and an amazingly talented group of physicians.”
He has seen many improvements within the hospital over the last two decades since he came to Jackson. “Right now, we are developing better methods of measuring outcomes and the quality of care our patients receive,” he says. “A great asset is a strong, forward-looking hospital administration that stays up to date with the infrastructure necessary for quality medical care and has a genuine concern for serving the community.”