It is my privilege as board 

 

chair to present the accom-

plishments and achievements 

as outlined in our Annual 

 

Report for the 2017-2018 fiscal 

year. From my vantage point, 

I see the world of healthcare 

changing faster than anyone 

anticipated. Federal and 

state regulations continue driving how healthcare is  

delivered – restricting freedoms healthcare practitioners 

once had to deliver care and make decisions.

To address these challenges, it is imperative that strong 

leadership understands the complexities and nuances 

of the regulations and mandates being enforced by 

state and federal agencies. I believe our executive 

team has done an effective job of advocating on 

behalf of the communities served by Good Shepherd 

Health Care System (GSHCS). Without their persistent 

involvement with lawmakers, healthcare in Hermiston 

would not be as accessible as it is today.

Though uncertainty is ever present in the regulatory 

world, our executive team has not let this fact deter 

them from meeting the healthcare needs of our 

community. This is evident by the visual enhancements 

that have been made to the GSHCS campus, anchored 

in part by the Good Shepherd Medical Plaza (GSMP) 

North Wing Expansion which was completed in 2017. 

With this expansion, the campus has become easier 

to traverse and added much-needed parking, making 

services more accessible. The first floor of the North 

Wing was specifically designed to meet the growing 

need for women’s services in our community and 

paved the way for an 11,000 square foot Women’s 

Center, with space for more services and providers 

including our new midwife service. This is one example 

of many improvements and enhancements you will 

read about in this report.
I have also been pleased with the increase in patient 

satisfaction GSHCS has experienced on The Centers 

for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) mandated 

survey known as the Hospital Consumer Assessment 

of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). 

This accomplishment can be attributed, in part, to 

our Service Excellence Initiative which you can read 

more about in this report. These scores are reflective 

of our employees’ level of engagement as evident in 

our selection two years in a row (2017 & 2018) by The 

Oregonian and Oregon Live as a Top Workplace in 

Oregon, which in turn is reflected in our patients having 

a more positive experience with the clinical quality and 

customer experience during an inpatient stay.
As part of our strategic plan, GSHCS set several 

objectives to expand communication and involvement 

with our community. In place of the corporate 

membership meeting, will have our first Annual 

Community Meeting. Within this format, we intend 

to have a nationally-recognized motivational speaker 

(health-related) followed by an annual report of GSHCS’ 

accomplishments. Through this change, we hope to 

reach, involve and inform more of our community of 

GSHCS’ accomplishments and progress. It is my hope 

that, in addition to reading this report, that you will 

give us feedback on this new format.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the communities 

they represent, I want to express my gratitude to the 

medical staff, employees, and volunteers, who have 

chosen to practice empathic, compassionate, patient-

centered medicine at GSHCS, and for making this 

another successful fiscal year. 

From the Board

Steve Eldrige | Chair, Board of Trustees | Good Shepherd Health Care System

Steve Eldrige