Maryville’s Mosaic President says ‘goodbye’

A letter was made available to the press that was sent by Mosaic Medical Center – Maryville President Nate Blackford to the staff of the healthcare firm announcing his decision to leave the business.

“Maryville-based Caregivers,

“I have made the difficult decision to step down from my role as President of Mosaic Medical Center – Maryville (MMC-M) to pursue other career interests. My last day will be October 30, 2024.

“In 2019, the Maryville community was fortunate to have Mosaic Health System assume operations of the medical center. With Mosaic’s arrival, the hospital instantly became part of an integrated, regional health system with deep roots in northwest Missouri.

“Moreover, I was blessed and honored to be selected as president. Our focus from the start was simple. We wanted to build on the legacy of SSM-St. Francis while growing, expanding and enhancing our service offerings to ensure that our hometown hospital would be here for generations to come. I strongly believe we have made significant progress in that direction.

“Over the past 5+ years, I am incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished as a medical center and as part of a regional health system. From a financial perspective, we have grown our revenues by 50 percent and our market share by 10 percent, helping to solidify our operations and commitment to our community. In addition, our change to Critical Access Hospital reimbursement will pay dividends for years to come, further strengthening our financial performance.

“But more importantly, we have continued to deliver excellent care close to home. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, we were recognized as a Leapfrog “A” rated hospital, putting us in the top 10 – 20 percent of all hospitals in the country for patient safety and quality. In 2023, we were recognized as a Chartis Top 100 Community Hospital, and the only community hospital in Missouri to be recognized as such. Although we never set out to win awards or third-party recognitions, they do serve as external validation of the great care provided by our physicians and caregivers each and every day at MMC-M.

“While I could talk more about collective accomplishments, like our response to the COVID pandemic, our record fundraising efforts (and community support), our growth in mental health services, and our enhanced and expanded community and regional partnerships, I will bring my message to a close by saying this: We have a great team and a great community in Maryville. Having the opportunity to serve as the president of MMC-M for 5+ years has been an honor of a lifetime professionally.

“Because of each of you, MMC-M is very well positioned to continue to serve this community for generations to come. The future is bright and I look forward to watching your success (and cheering you on) from a different seat. Love you guys.

-Nate”