An Impact That Will Last a Lifetime

By Scott Kanagy, DO, MBA, chief medical officer, Premier Health Northern Region

My time at Good Samaritan Hospital has left a positive and memorable experience in my heart. I was only with Good Samaritan for a short period of time. However, in my short tenure as chief medical officer I saw extraordinary things. I cannot express how honored I am to have had the privilege of being part of the Good Samaritan family. I have witnessed numerous selfless acts in many of those who have made Good Samaritan into the outstanding facility it was.

As I sat at the picnic that we held on July 14 to honor employees and physicians and listened to the program, it reinforced in my mind that the building sitting at Philadelphia Drive and Salem Avenue does not represent Good Samaritan. It was the place we did our work. As stated by many that day, the people who filled Carillon Park and all the others who could not attend from past and present are what truly is Good Samaritan. That powerful message made me smile, because no matter where we decided to continue our careers after the closure or what we decide to do, we are Good Samaritan.

Each of us takes a piece of Good Samaritan with us. By doing so, Good Samaritan will live on in us and will become part of those we encounter. They will see and feel our commitment, and with that, Good Samaritan will live on forever. A difficult decision was made so that we can continue to provide the best care to the most people we can in Southwest Ohio. We must carry on with that commitment, and while doing so, maintain the values, lessons, and experiences we had while at Good Samaritan. That will ensure that a part of Good Samaritan touches the patients we continue to care for in the future.

Thank you all for the time we have spent together, and the lives we have touched. We now move on to other assignments and life journeys, and though we all will never be together again as it was at the Philadelphia site, together we will always be Good Samaritan. 

Back to the July 2018 issue of Premier Pulse