ATLANTIC GENERAL HOSPITAL CEO SIGNS ON FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS

Berlin, Md. – Atlantic General Hospital and Health System’s Board of Trustees recently signed a contract extension with president and CEO Michael Franklin to serve the not-for profit community hospital and physician network for another five years.

The next 60 months will be a time of considerable transformation for the organization. Atlantic General may be responding to a reversal of healthcare policy spurred by the new presidential administration, while completing the master facilities plan outlined in 2015 in the “2020 Vision,” the hospital and health system’s five-year strategic plan. That plan includes construction of the John H. “Jack” Burbage, Jr. Regional Cancer Care Center, the comprehensive Atlantic General Women’s Health Center, an expansion of ER and surgical services and renovation of the inpatient care area.

“Healthcare has changed so rapidly in the past few years, and it promises to keep doing so at breakneck speed. But, our mission remains steady. Atlantic General has done wonderful things for this community, despite challenges, and we’re confident that Michael Franklin is the best person to guide Atlantic General into the future,” said Louis H. Taylor, chair of the Atlantic General Hospital Board of Trustees.

Franklin joined the organization as president and CEO in October 2005. During his tenure, Atlantic General has deftly adapted to the changing forces in healthcare, staying ahead of the curve with health information technology and care coordination initiatives while continuing to improve patient access to primary and specialty care through physical expansion and telemedicine collaboratives.

In the last 11 years, he has led Atlantic General in the development of new services greatly needed in the community, including cancer care and medical infusion, a bariatric surgery and medical weight loss program, an award-winning wound care center, endoscopy center, urology, developmental health care for children with cognitive and behavioral conditions, dermatology, outpatient pediatrics and population health programs, and Maryland’s only service guarantee for timeliness of ER care (the AGH “ER 30 Minute Promise”). The number of Atlantic General Health System providers has also tripled in that time, to create better access to primary care and specialty services and meet the growing demands of residents and visitors.

Prior to joining Atlantic General, Franklin was the vice president of operations and COO for Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville, Md. He earned his master’s in healthcare administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and his bachelor’s in health sciences from Old Dominion University. Franklin is the current chair of the board of directors of the critical care telemedicine collaborative Maryland eCare, LLC, and serves as the vice chair for the board of directors of the Blood Bank of Delmarva. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

“It’s been a privilege to serve the community for the last 11 years. It’s so rewarding to work with our Board of Trustees, physicians and our associates to advocate for the better health of our community and make sure we are in the best possible position to provide the care and health and wellness guidance that is needed. I look forward to what the future holds,” Franklin said.

About Atlantic General Hospital

Atlantic General Hospital has been providing quality health care to the residents of Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset (Md.) and Sussex (Del.) counties since May 1993. Built through the commitment and generosity of a dedicated community, Atlantic General’s main facility in Berlin, Md., combines the warmth of personalized attention with the reassurance of medical expertise and advanced technology. The not-for-profit hospital provides quality specialty care in oncology, medical and surgical weight loss, orthopedics, and women’s diagnostics among other services. Atlantic General Health System, its network of more than 40 primary care providers and specialists, cares for residents and visitors throughout the region. For more information about Atlantic General Hospital, visit www.atlanticgeneral.org.