Introduction and Family
I’m Zachary Moser and I’m running for the Salem Memorial Hospital Board for director from District 4. I am a lifelong resident of Dent County. I live about 1 mile down the road from the house in which I grew up with my wife, Mary, and two children, John (6) and Amelia (3). John is a kindergartener at Green Forest Elementary.
Zach with his two children, John and Amelia, on their farm in Jadwin.
District 4 and Election Information
District 4 includes the southern portion of Dent County and northern portion of Shannon County, which includes Jadwin, Gladden, Akers, and more. Hospital District residents will be able to vote on three Board positions on April 2nd, 2024.
Education
After high school I attended college and graduate school at St. Louis College of Pharmacy (now University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis), where I obtained my Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree and met Mary. While working as a pharmacist, I obtained my Master of Business Administration (MBA) and obtained certification as a Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS).
Experience
I have served on the Board of Directors since August of 2023, and have already learned a lot and devoted many hours of free time for the benefit of the hospital.
I have a lot of experience in business management and healthcare, which I believe makes me highly qualified to continue my position on the Board. I spent almost 5 years as the Director of Pharmacy at Salem Hospital, which gave me a strong and broad understanding of the internal operations of SMH.
I worked for about a year at Lake Regional Health System in a pharmacy management position, which was a great experience overall. It gave me insight into how a successful independent health system can operate in rural Missouri.
For about two and a half years I have served as the Administrator of the Dent County Health Center, where I have expanded my skillset even further and beyond one focused on pharmacy. At DCHC, I have increased the revenue from about $600,000 a year to about $1,200,000 per year, adding several valuable services, such as COVID and rapid testing, our nurse practitioner service, family planning program, and our mobile unit.
My understanding of business in general is further strengthened by my years of participating in the family cattle business and my own small farm. One thing is true of any business; you can’t spend more than you make and expect to stay in business.
Why I Care about Salem Hospital
Local healthcare services are vital to our community. SMH has received criticism over the years for being a “band-aid” station, but that criticism ignores the importance of this role. The ER is so important as a first point of contact for heart attacks, strokes, trauma, and more. Without SMH, many more people would die in our community every year.
In 2020, my wife and daughter were in a bad car accident. SMH ambulance responded and my daughter was evaluated in the ER. I’m very thankful this service was available.
In addition, SMH provides many other services that are vital, such as radiology, laboratory, and long-term care. No, they don’t provide neurosurgery or oncology treatment, but without them, we would all have no choice but to drive a lot farther for basic services.
How I approach the Board of Directors position
Salem Memorial Hospital is a victim of bad circumstances set up by larger players, like health insurance and Medicare/Medicaid. I discuss this in detail in my “Why Healthcare is hard” article. However, SMH has made several strategic errors that has made their position even more difficult. This is not a criticism of past administrations, as it’s easy to see the mistakes with the benefit of hindsight. Nevertheless, there has been a bit of a tendency to continue forward and ignore the problems the organization is facing, hoping that they will go away on their own.
I come to the Board with an understanding of business, and healthcare business in particular. Myself, the rest of the Board, and SMH administration, are going to have to think outside of the box and be willing to make some hard and difficult changes to align operations with market and insurance company demands. I am willing and able to make difficult decisions to bring SMH back into success.
One thing that guides my decisions as a Board Member is this simple fact: We need a hospital in Salem. I will do whatever it takes within my power to ensure that Salem always has a hospital.
And finally, a hospital that exists but does not make its patients and community healthier, has no meaningful purpose. A hospital, like any business, must make money to persist, but providing for the health of its patients must always be the priority. Which is why, whatever decisions that we make will always have the health of our patients in mind.
Summary
In short, I believe I am the most qualified candidate for the Board of Directors position at Salem Memorial Hospital in District 4. My many years of management experience in pharmacy and public health, including nearly 5 years as Director of Pharmacy at SMH, give me a strong experiential background for this position. My goal is to make sure Salem always has a hospital that is a benefit to its patients and residents. If you’re in the Salem Hospital District, I humbly ask for your vote on April 2nd, 2024.
