It was July 11th of last year that I first walked through the doors of Big Sandy Medical Center to start work as the interim CEO. After only a few hours on the job, I realized what a challenge it would be to keep this organization from going down the same path as so many other rural hospitals succumb to, that is, to be purchased and assimilated into a much larger hospital system.

Yet I soon learned that I was working with some of the best hospital staff in the state. Their dedication, amazing problem-solving skills, and compassionate love and care for the patients of BSMC gave me hope tha...