Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Polenz, Barth
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 12/07/2011
MMC CEO Says Goodbye (Polenz – 11 January 2012)
Scott Polenz, Memorial Medical Center CEO
By Tony Opelt
Scott Polenz, CEO of Memorial Medical Center (MMC) of Neillsville, Loyal and Greenwood, in an emotional announcement last week, stated he accepted a position at another facility. His last day at MMC will be Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012.
“I can, without a doubt, say that this has been the best job I’ve ever had,” remarked Polenz. “I’ve never felt such pride, gratitude and camaraderie in my life.”
Polenz, worked to advance his organization and the people who work there. Among his many accomplishments are the opening of Sunset Gardens Assisted Living, three consecutive years of solid financials, marked improvements in quality and patient satisfactory scores, solidification of a well-rounded medical staff, establishing the Foundation, Electronic Health Record pursuits and a well-communicated five-year strategic plan “Vision 2015.”
“We have done incredibly well as a team,” Polenz stated. “The main reason is the cultural transformation we have worked so hard to obtain. I have seen countless examples, almost on a daily basis, from out leaders, medical staff and employees. It is exhilarating to witness and be part of it all. And our patients and communities truly believe in us and are proud of their local hospital. I have every confidence that Memorial’s future is bright, and the community can continue to expect great things.”
Memorial’s board of directors and administrative team are working on planning and communicating the next steps. One decision made was to name a transition committee to research options, including speaking with employees, the Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative and evaluate the use of an external recruiting firm. The committee will make its recommendations to the board, and ultimately, the board will approve the plan at a Dec. 6 meeting.
“As president of the board, I can assure everyone that we won’t take any shortcuts in finding the next CEO,” said Bob Barth, Memorial’s board president. “We will make every effort to ensure that this transition is a seamless as possible. Scott gave us 150 percent and made many sacrifices to advance our hospital to the place it is today. We cannot thank him “enough for all he’s done in the last five years, and we wish both him and his family much success and happiness.”
The community is encouraged to contact Polenz with any questions, concerns or suggestions. He can be reached at 715.743.8453 or spolenz@MemorialMedCenter.org.
“I am so thankful to Bob Barth and the board of directors for giving me this opportunity and for the staff and community members who have made me feel so welcome,” said Polenz. “All of the hard work, long hours and challenges have been worth every second, and MMC will always hold a special place with me.”
