OGDENSBURG – Just weeks into his role as Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center’s chief executive, Chuck Gijanto says he will continue to work with other North Country health care providers and shift the organization’s focus away from episodic care.

Gijanto is no stranger to the challenges of health care in New York. “I have spent the vast majority of my 35 plus years of healthcare management in community hospitals in Upstate NY. Being born and raised in Ticonderoga and working with hospitals including CVPH Medical Center, Elizabethtown Community Hospital, Moses-Ludington Hospital and Oswego Health, I have a good sense of the culture, the economic challenges and the healthcare needs of the communities we serve.”

And even though he’s only been at the helm for four short weeks, Gijanto is pleased with what he sees. “Claxton-Hepburn has a wonderful tradition of providing great care to the region, and we will continue to do that to the very best of our abilities to ensure that the needed services are available to you all.”

Hospitals today must work hard to stay a viable member of the community. “There are key areas that we must focus on, including delivering the top-notch quality that folks deserve and expect; providing the very best patient service in the region. We are your hospital, and you deserve the very best patient experience possible, and continuing to expand our service offerings to better meet your needs.”

We have great physicians and staff at CHMC, through engagement, teamwork, collaboration, and coordination, we will strive to provide a higher level of care through excellence in service and quality.

Gijanto is committed to meeting the needs of the community. “We are your hospital, here for you when you need us. Our primary function is to take care of our community’s healthcare needs and to do that we need to listen to you, what you want, what you need.

As health care changes, Claxton-Hepburn has to adapt and change. “Healthcare is an extremely challenging environment right now, and folks at CHMC are working hard to shift from purely episodic care to more of a population health focus. We will always be here to serve your needs, but increasingly our approach is to work to keep you healthy, so you need fewer acute care services. Increasingly the work is being done on an outpatient basis, and we are working diligently to shift our delivery of care to that environment.”

As Gijanto takes over leadership, he will continue the work started to work more closely with other hospitals. “During the winter months, CHMC announced that it is developing an affiliation with Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, along with River Hospital and Carthage Hospital. This was a good move, and in the coming months, these organizations will be working together to determine how we can best work together to provide great care here in the North Country. We will share more information on this in the near future.”