Dr. Joseph Conroy
Dr. Joseph Conroy took a moment from his busy schedule as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of St. Mary Medical Center to reflect on some of the reasons why he chose St. Mary as the facility where he wanted to practice his profession.
As a young man, I had a vision of working at a hospital that identified the needs of its community, and then fulfilled them,” he said. “Our community has embraced St. Mary because of the philosophy that has guided its development.”
When Dr. Conroy first joined St. Mary in the late 1980’s, the hospital was in its infancy. He had already practiced medicine at other hospitals, but St. Mary’s philosophy of treating three aspects of patient care — mind, body, spirit — reinforced his own long-standing beliefs for becoming a physician. As he explained these aspects, it became abundantly clear why he has become such an enthusiastic supporter of the hospital.
“As medical practitioners, we understand that a patient and/or their family may need spiritual help as they face whatever medical challenge is before them,” he said. “St. Mary is a member of the Catholic Health Initiatives, a national non-denominational health care system that offers pastoral care to all its patients. Spiritual support is an important component in the healing process.”
He went on to discuss the numerous outreach programs designed to help patients better understand what is happening to them. “When a patient talks with someone who has undergone a similar crisis, the conversation becomes productive,” Dr. Conroy said. “The ill person realizes that he can get better and can talk with someone who truly understands the trials and tribulations of his situation.” The outreach programs are a win-win state of affairs for the patient, as well as for the healed person who can now describe how he managed his own condition.
During his tenure at St. Mary, Dr. Conroy has seen the establishment or expansion of services that have placed St. Mary at the forefront of medical centers in the region. “We now have a comprehensive Heart and Vascular Center, with new catheterization laboratories, a regional cancer center, trauma center, and orthopedic programs, to name just a few of the outstanding departments,” he said. “St. Mary has been on the cutting edge of technology, taking what was generally done in a teaching institution and bringing it here to the community.”
Dr. Conroy strongly believes in the mission of St. Mary and encourages his colleagues and community to be financially supportive, especially since major changes in health care and reimbursements are on the horizon. “This is a medical center that is focused on the future,” he said. “The leadership team has developed a strategic plan that is efficient, comprehensive, and attainable. When you see what a great job the hospital is doing, you want to become part of such a successful organization.”
“The community,” he concluded, “is all of us. It reaches to all segments of our society, our friends, family, neighbors, and strangers alike. Physicians live in this community; this is where we will go ourselves for treatment, so we need to make sure that St. Mary Medical Center is the best it can be by continuing to support its services.”