Duvall discusses added CEO role at Claxton-Hepburn

CARTHAGE, N.Y. — Carthage Area Hospital and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg have been working together “for a number of years,” says Richard (Rich) Duvall, CEO of Carthage Area Hospital.

Their working relationship will continue when Duvall also becomes CEO of Claxton-Hepburn on Oct. 15.

Duvall will replace Claxton-Hepburn’s interim CEO, Charles (Chuck) Gijanto, who is retiring from his current role, per a joint news release the hospitals issued Sept. 26.

“It’s something that the organizations have considered for a number of years. And I think with Chuck’s retirement, it just kind of made sense,” Duvall tells BJNN in an Oct. 10 interview.

He noted that Claxton-Hepburn conducted a national search to fill the role and interviews about six candidates for the job.

“It was narrowed down that I would be the best candidate,” says Duvall.

In the joint news release, Duvall called it “an exciting partnership” between two North Country hospitals.

“Working together will only strengthen the services we offer to patients by taking a regional approach to health care in the North Country. Ideally, this will create efficiencies in the way we conduct business. This partnership is the next step in creating an integrated, system-wide approach to how our patients receive health care,” Duvall said in the release.

The announcement “does not” represent a merger or acquisition, the organizations said. Both the Claxton-Hepburn and Carthage Hospital’s boards of directors approved Duvall’s appointment.

When asked if he has any concerns about working both roles, Duvall says he believes he’ll be able to handle the duties of leading both organizations.

“I believe both organizations have strong executive teams. The CEO really needs to set the vision for the organization in collaboration with the boards, establish the strategies that are going to make us sustainable for the future,” he adds.

When asked how he would split his time between both hospitals, Duvall says, “Initially, I will be spending the majority of my time up at Claxton, just to learn, to be able to understand their services and get to know their employees and the team up there. After about six months, I’ll be spending time in both facilities more regularly.”

Duvall has worked at Carthage Area Hospital since 2008, serving in various leadership capacities culminating with his appointment to CEO in 2014. He has a “strong” track record of improving operations and expanding health-care services throughout the community and will serve as CEO of both facilities, the release stated.

“Rich’s familiarity of the challenges facing North Country health-care facilities and the importance of working together make him an ideal choice as our next CEO,” M. Sandra Lyons, chair of the Claxton-Hepburn board of directors, contended.

Officials from both health-care facilities have worked “collaboratively” since the announcement of their affiliation with Crouse Health in Syracuse late 2017. Building on those initiatives, Crouse North was established in this past spring to provide locally based planning and “increased access to care.”

He will remain interim regional director of Crouse North, he says. Crouse North is a regional entity overseeing the coordination of clinical and physician services in the North Country region. Besides Duvall, it includes representatives from the leadership and board of directors of each hospital involved. They include Crouse Health, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg, and River Hospital in Alexandria Bay.

About the hospitals

Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center is a 115-bed community hospital and regional referral center. Claxton-Hepburn’s inpatient services include intensive care, acute care, a birthing center, and a mental health center. The medical center also provides primary care to nearly 40,000 Ogdensburg residents and regional services to the 108,000 people of St. Lawrence County.

Established in 1965, Carthage Area Hospital operates today as a 25-bed critical access hospital, serving about 83,000 residents across Jefferson, northern Lewis, and southern St. Lawrence counties.

In addition to establishing a clinical affiliation with Syracuse’s Crouse Health in 2017, the hospital also operates a network of community-based clinics, including the Philadelphia Medical Center, Carthage Family Health Center, Carthage Pediatric Clinic, and Women’s Way to Wellness.