As the new President & CEO of Good Shepherd, I want to thank you for the support this community 
has given me and my family during our transition to Hermiston. Everyone we have met has been 
just amazing. This has been a very humbling experience and I am thankful to have this opportunity 
to serve you. 

I want to thank our Board Chair, Steve Eldrige, and all of our Trustees. The success and direction 
of Good Shepherd starts with them. Second, I want to thank our outgoing CEO, Dennis Burke.  For 
32 years, Dennis has been that beacon for Good Shepherd and one of the strongest advocates for 
healthcare. Dennis’ advocacy at the national level made him very well-known across our nation…
to include this CEO of a rural hospital in Chariton, Iowa.  To have the opportunity to follow Dennis 
and lead one of the best-known critical access hospitals in the nation is one of the greatest honors 
of my professional life. Third, I want to thank our senior team, department leaders and medical 
staff leadership. In the early days of my tenure, our leaders are guiding and advising me. Thank 
you to our staff. Good Shepherd Health Care System is 750 strong. Our physicians, practitioners, 

nurses, environmental and maintenance specialists, just to name a few, come to work each and every day with a laser-focus 
on one thing…our patients.  

COVID-19 has created a disruption in all of our lives. Good Shepherd saw its share of sick people due to the pandemic.  
The availability of personal protective equipment and supplies nationally reached critically-low levels never experienced in 
healthcare. Our healthcare professionals pushed through the stresses and kept coming back; all in the name of caring for our 
community. Good Shepherd followed the best practices, and stayed informed as the science caught up with the virus. In fact, 
in my first week at Good Shepherd, our Medicare certifying authority surveyed our facility. It was noted that Good Shepherd 
is one of the best prepared, and best practiced healthcare facilities in response to COVID-19.  

Through it all, Good Shepherd continued to explore new services for our community. In November 2019, Good Shepherd 
opened our Cancer Center under the leadership of Oncologist/Hematologist Dr. Stephen Iacoboni. In June 2020, the Physical 
Medicine & Rehabilitation Center opened for service. And coming in November of 2020, we look forward to the opening of 
Good Shepherd Sleep Solutions.  

We continue to recruit the brightest professionals to serve. In the last year, Good Shepherd recruited eight physicians to our 
community. I am also pleased to announce our new Vice President of Nursing, Mr. Brian Patrick. Brian most recently served at 
Palmdale Regional Medical Center in Palmdale, California as the Director of Emergency Services. He has already proven to be 
an outstanding addition to Good Shepherd. Please welcome him to Hermiston if you get the opportunity.  

Although our lives have been turned upside down, we continue to look towards the future. Eventually we will overcome this 
pandemic. In the meantime, please take care of yourself and each other.  Wear your mask, wash your hands, and practice social 
distancing. Just know that we are here when you need us. My promise to you is simply this – we will get through this together.  

Stay well.

From the President & CEO

Good Shepherd’s Service Excellence Council members are responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing and communicating 
strategies necessary to create a continuously-improving customer and employee-driven culture during Year IV of our Service 
Excellence Initiative journey..

Last fall, I announced my intention to retire and the Board of Trustees began an extensive search for 
my replacement. I am very pleased to announce that they have selected Mr. Brian Sims, who began 

as President & CEO effective October 1, 2020. Mr. Sims is from Chariton, Iowa, where he has been the 
CEO at Lucas County Health Center for the past five years.

I want to express my sincerest appreciation and humble gratitude for the trust placed in me in 
allowing me to serve as President & CEO for the past 32 years. I will miss my “job” and especially all of 

the wonderful staff, volunteers, board members and physicians/providers with whom I have had the 

privilege of working for these past many years. 

I again want to thank my Administrative Team, our medical staff officers, department managers, 

physicians/providers, employees and volunteers and our very supportive Board of Trustees for making Good Shepherd 

Health Care System one of the finest rural hospitals in the country. 

Please take a moment to read more about our accomplishments this past year. We look forward to your comments and deeply 
appreciate your confidence and trust in allowing us to serve you.

Dennis E. Burke I Former President & CEO I Good Shepherd Health Care System

Farewell & Best Wishes 

Brian Sims, FACHE | President & CEO | Good Shepherd Health Care System