Doug Bentz
CEO , Roane General Hospital
ARIANNA WHITEHAIR
“ Our goal is to be the benchmark of high quality , highly reliable , patient-centered care — to let the patient know we care ,” says Doug Bentz , CEO of Roane General Hospital .
Doug Bentz , who has served as CEO of Roane General Hospital for over 21 years , prides himself on his ability to serve his small community in significant ways through the use of his leadership skills and drive for success .
His mother worked as a nurse for more than 40 years and inspired him to pursue a career in the field of health care .
“ I wasn ’ t strong enough in the sciences to be a clinician , but I wanted to use my analytical and leadership skills , so hospital administration made sense ,” he says .
Along with his mother , Bentz credits former Roane General Board Chair Dick Bowlby with helping him develop the necessary experience and wisdom needed to excel in his field .
Holding a bachelor ’ s degree in business finance and a Master of Business Administration from Morehead State University , as well as a Master of Health Care Administration from Ohio State University , it is safe to say that Bentz is always up for a challenge . Working at a small hospital in rural West Virginia is certainly not without its difficulties .
“ The challenges range from improving the health status of a small , rural
community with significant socioeconomic barriers to hiring and retaining the best professional staff to care for our patients ,” says Bentz .
With a strong emphasis on bringing care closer to home , Roane General focuses on providing several specialists to serve its patients and the community in a way that is both efficient and accommodating .
“ It doesn ’ t make sense to ask 25 patients to drive to Charleston to see a pulmonologist when one pulmonologist can drive to Spencer to see those 25 patients ,” says Bentz .
By always looking for ways to improve the level of quality , patient-centered care at Roane General , Bentz put
Photo by Rick Lee .
into fruition the hospital ’ s first renovation and expansion project , which was completed in fall of 2021 . This project was a celebration of Roane General ’ s 50 years of first-rate service to its community and prioritized the patient experience by creating a one-stop shop that brings all the necessary services to them .
“ This renovation project was an opportunity to redefine how our hospital provided patient care services ,” says Bentz .
The original hospital footprint was designed to be an inpatient hospital , but with 98 % of patient encounters today being outpatient , Roane General had to change to accommodate its community ’ s evolving needs .
68 WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE