APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – The Fox Valley’s largest employer has a new President/CEO.
Dr. Irman Andrabi started his new position with ThedaCare on June 20.
Andrabi replaces Dr. Dean Gruner, who has retired after holding the position for nine years.
The 50-year-old native of Pakistan has spent the past 25 years at Mercy Health in Toledo, Ohio, a non-profit Catholic healthcare ministry that serves Ohio and Kentucky.
Andrabi began as an intern and medical resident, working his way up to regional president and CEO of the system’s Toledo region.
During a media availability Wednesday morning, WTAQ asked Andrabi if there are any practices from his past he would like to bring to his new employer.
While Andrabi feels it is important to learn from both personal past experiences and other healthcare systems, he cautions against immediately applying those practices to ThedaCare.
“I’m not a great proponent of just transplanting something that worked in some community to another community, because there are a lot of differences within communities, with their needs and wants and how it needs to get done, as well.”
Andrabi says ThedaCare is one of the top ten healthcare systems that have interested him.
“I’ve been watching ThedaCare for about 10-12 years now, the work that they have been doing particularly within performance improvment, and then the work that they have done within quality improvement, as well.”
While there are currently many uncertainties surrounding the United States’ healthcare system, Andrabi feels ThedaCare will be in a good position, no matter the outcomes in Washington, as long as it sticks to the basics.
“Making sure people have access when they need to, have high-quality care, safe care, high-value care at lower cost.”
When it comes to the possibility of consolidating ThedaCare facilities, Andrabi says he plans to consult a variety of stakeholders.
“I look forward to the learnings and look forward to the perspectives and hopefully together we can make a good decision.”
ThedaCare has roughly 6,800 employees and serves nine local counties.
