Livingston HealthCare is managed by a team of highly-trained, experienced professionals. These leaders answer to a Board of Directors that is populated by community members. Check out their profiles to get to know more about who they are and what they do and how these two groups set the strategic objectives of Livingston HealthCare and help keep the organization focused on its mission to serve through quality healthcare.
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Connie Dunn, Human Resources Director
Connie Dunn came to Livingston HealthCare with a broad range of skills and a well-developed background in Human Resources. Before taking her current position, she spent over four years as Director of Human Resources at Natchitoches Regional Medical Center in Louisiana. Prior to that, she had 25 years experience in human resources, accounting and general business management. “Human Resources is charged with assisting the leadership with strategic planning, educating and counseling management, and assisting employees in a wide variety of ways,” says Connie. “It is my responsibility to facilitate the accomplishment of those tasks through communication and unsurpassed customer service.” To maintain a high level of skill in her field, she has received Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, American Society for Healthcare Human Resource Administration, and Montana Society of Healthcare Human Resource Administrators where she formerly served as the State Secretary.
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Melanie Emter, Finance Director
After 20 years, Melanie Emter understands the demands and complexities of healthcare finance operations. “I hadn’t planned on pursuing a career in healthcare initially,” she recalls. “But I have stayed in healthcare because working in healthcare is so rewarding and the people are so passionate.” She sees her role as providing leadership and direction to the many departments that do the behind the scenes business services work of the organization. She uses her BA in Business Finance and Masters in Business Administration to help her find every opportunity to streamline processes, increase efficiency, and improve financial results. “As a director at Livingston HealthCare, everything I do boils down to the quality of patient care,” she explains. “All of the decisions are about how that choice will affect our patients and the services we provide. I am always asking myself how something helps us meet our mission of providing quality care.” Melanie and her family are excited to be settling in Livingston after spending many vacations in the area. “We have been looking at moving here for a long time,” she says. “I am thrilled that this has finally worked out, and I can bring my experience to Livingston HealthCare.”
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Sandi Marlowe, Community Development Director
Sandi Marlowe came to Livingston HealthCare with thirteen years of marketing and communications experience in the for-profit world. Her experience includes strategic planning, branding, relationship marketing, market research, loyalty and retention programs, and event planning for regional, national, and international programs. After several years based in Denver, she was ready for a change. She joined Livingston HealthCare in 2001 to create a marketing and communications program from the ground up—a program that continues to grow each year. She sees her primary role as communicating with the community, working to build their trust, respect and knowledge of the organization. While her job has many different aspects, what she loves most is “seeing how different people interpret the same idea and really make the end result so much fuller and so much more than you could have expected.”
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Nancy Massman, Clinic Services Director
As an accomplished and versatile healthcare management professional, Nancy Massman has spent over 20 years in the healthcare industry.
Her extensive experience includes strategic planning, business development, practice management, operations and financial management. Over the course of her career in healthcare, she has held several high-profile leadership positions. She took her position at Livingston HealthCare in August 2006. Since then, Nancy’s talents have been focused on the day-to-day operations of the two clinic locations and managing the various physician practices. According to Nancy, when effective teamwork is in place everyone directs their energies towards a single focus and they typically achieve amazing results. “I have an excellent team,” she states. “We support each other and that is very important in working together towards a common goal.”
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Sam Pleshar, CEO
Sam Pleshar, FACHE, attended the University of Illinois and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy. Following his love of flyfishing he then took a position in a pharmacy in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It wasn’t long before he began to realize it was administration that really held his interest. “It seemed like all the action was in administration,” he recalls. “It looked like an interesting and challenging career.” Sam began his career with Livingston Memorial Hospital in 1981 as the pharmacy manager, but he still had a strong interest in broader healthcare administration. In 1989, the organization supported him in furthering his education by helping him return to school for a Masters in Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota. He continued at Livingston Memorial in various administrative roles, including working on the integration of the hospital and Park Clinic. In 1992, he graduated, and for the next ten years he honed his administrative skills and leadership style. “I try to be a collaborative leader,” he says. “I believe the people who do the every day work have much to offer on process improvement.” In 2002, Sam was appointed CEO and took the helm of the newly named Livingston HealthCare. Today, he provides leadership and direction for this organization with a strong commitment to providing the very best service to the community.
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Marsha Vanderhoff, Patient Services Director
As Patient Services Director, Marsha Vanderhoff is responsible for the management of the nursing staff, the pharmacy, Infection Control, Risk Management, Quality Improvement, Education, and food and nutrition services at Livingston Memorial Hospital. She also oversees management of Home Care, Hospice Care, Cardiac Rehab, and Tobacco Prevention programs that are housed offsite. “I try to create an open environment that encourages communication,” she says. “I think that is an important part of achieving my key goals for this organization—increasing the use of electronic health record technology, improving patient outcomes and building a consistent level of evidence-based nursing care.” Marsha has extensive experience working with Federal and State governments, researching, interpreting, and training providers on implementing federal regulations. She has also worked as a staff nurse and night shift charge nurse and has managed staff directly and indirectly. She served as a Governor of Montana appointed Delegate to 1995 Whitehouse Conference on Aging and was a Governor of Montana appointed member of the Long Term Care Advisory Board. |
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