A Message from Jeff: Promises Made, Promises Kept and Promises to Fulfill

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Happy 2025! At St. Mary’s Healthcare, we begin this new year with pride in our recent accomplishments, determination to continue on our path of progress, and gratitude for the privilege of serving this community.

Unlike most hospitals, St. Mary’s remains an independent, locally based organization—by choice. We feel strongly that our community is better served by a hospital with deep local ties, a unique understanding of our region’s healthcare needs, and an unwavering commitment to meet those needs close to home. We hear, over and over again, from community members who feel the same way.

The current healthcare environment presents significant challenges for smaller community hospitals, requiring us to be more strategic and innovative at virtually every turn. On behalf of our Board of

Trustees, leadership team, and all our associates, I am pleased to report that St. Mary’s is rising to the occasion.

In 2024, St. Mary’s:

• Served more patients, including many who have now made us their provider of choice.
• Streamlined our hiring process, added more team members to accommodate our growth, and made strides in creating a culture of caring, collaboration, and inclusion.
• Forged partnerships with other local providers to ensure continued access to vital services right here in our region.
• Invested in technology, new services, and our people.
• Honored our longstanding commitment to caring for those who are underserved.
• Strengthened our connections with our community.

While these are promising results, we still have much work ahead of us. Like hospitals throughout the U.S., our expenses outpace reimbursement, and St. Mary’s must improve our financial position. What sets us apart, however, is our conviction that the way to achieve this is to focus on strategic growth. We are identifying, adding, and bolstering programs that our community needs and deserves to have locally.

Because St. Mary’s believes in transparency, I will not be shy about asking for your help. We need you to support your community hospital—to turn to us first for healthcare, recommend us to others,

and support our fundraising efforts. We also ask that you let us know when we meet or exceed your expectations and when we can do better.

In return, we pledge to continually strive to provide the exceptional personal care that is the hallmark of a community hospital. We view every interaction as an opportunity to continue to earn and maintain your trust. Thank you for choosing St. Mary’s and for contributing to our sustained growth and success in the coming year.

With best wishes,
Jeff Methven, President & CEO
St. Mary’s Healthcare