Long takes 
over as CEO

When Steve Long took over recently as the chief executive officer at Skiff Medical Center, he inherited an operation that was losing nearly a half-million dollars per month, had gone through a painful reduction in force, and had been without a permanent leader for nearly a year. Long believes he knows how to turn the hospital around.

“The key is growth,” he said. “You can look at expenses and try to keep those down, but you can’t do that forever. Eventually you become a non-entity.”

Instead, he said, the long-term solution is increasing volumes, such as patient visits, physician recruitment, and product line development, while maintaining a workforce that is the right size for the community.

“Physician recruitment is difficult,” Long said. “But, the best way is to look at the needs of the community and look for someone who fills those needs and has ties to central Iowa. That way they will stay for the long-term.”

The hospital is properly staffed now, Long believes, and one of his goals is to avoid another reduction in force, through incremental changes.

“The hospital is not out of the woods yet, but we can fix our problems incrementally,” he said. “We’re beginning to see the effects of the RIF.”

Born in Cedar Rapids, Long attended the University of Iowa, earning a master’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in hospital administration, before moving into leadership roles at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, as well as the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and the Select Specialty Hospital in Davenport. He spent four years in the U.S. Air Force, attaining the rank of Captain. He was a hospital administrator at Andrews Air Force Base and was the Chief Financial Officer at the base hospital. Prior to coming to Skiff, Long was serving as chief administrative officer at Aurora Medical Center in Two Rivers, Wis.

Long comes highly recommended by the Skiff Hospital Board of Trustees. Board Chair Debby Pence said as the board was doing its due diligence, Long’s trustworthiness and compassion, as well as strong personal values, were traits that came up time after time.