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WPCNR HEALTH CARES From White Plains Hospital Center (May 1, 2015) – White Plains Hospital President Susan Fox is now both the Hospital’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective today, announced Laurence Smith, Chairman of the Hospital’s Board of Directors. Fox succeeds Jon B. Schandler, who retired as CEO on April 30, after 38 years of service to the institution.

“Susan has been an exceptional leader at White Plains Hospital and will be an extraordinary CEO,” Smith said. “Since 2010, she has worked closely with Jon to transform White Plains Hospital into the ‘Hospital of the Future,’ with the clinical capabilities, services, and facilities that allow us to manage patient health both inside and outside our walls. Susan has the skills, leadership and vision to lead us to continued success.”

Smith added that Schandler has left an impressive and lasting legacy at the Hospital. “Under Jon’s leadership, a wonderful community hospital has evolved into an exceptional health care institution capable of meeting the community’s needs for complex care, close to home,” Smith said.

“Susan has proven herself to be an outstanding, progressive leader with an uncompromising dedication to excellence in patient care. I applaud her appointment as President and CEO,” said Steven M. Safyer, M.D., President and CEO of Montefiore Health System, of which White Plains Hospital is a member.

Susan Fox: The Right Leader at the Right Time

Fox began her career as a pediatric intensive care nurse, and went on to distinguish herself in several leadership positions after earning an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Baruch College-Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She first served as Senior Manager of Health Care Consulting at Ernst & Young and then spent 14 years at North Shore-LIJ as Senior Vice President, Physician and Ambulatory Network Services. She joined White Plains Hospital in 2010 as Senior Vice President of Administration and was named President in January, 2013. It was announced last year that she would assume the role of CEO upon Schandler’s retirement, thus ensuring a smooth transition.

“From the moment she joined the Hospital, it became evident that Susan understood how healthcare services were changing, and the unique role that White Plains Hospital played in delivering more advanced care to the region that no other Westchester hospital could,” Schandler explained. “Susan has played an important role in recruiting the best and the brightest physicians to take our clinical services to the next level, and expanding our geography beyond the borders of White Plains into other areas of Westchester.

“But excellent clinical services aren’t enough,” Schandler continued. “She focused everyone’s attention on the patient experience, and got everyone involved in making that experience as good as possible. As a result, our Hospital became one of only 5% of hospitals in the nation to receive the Healthgrades’ 2014 Outstanding Patient Experience Award.”

“Susan is a one-of-a-kind leader,” added Robert Small, M.D., Orthopedic Surgeon and President of the White Plains Hospital Medical Staff.  “She has more than demonstrated that she is a highly intelligent, strategic thinker, and few others could match her capabilities and drive.”

Fox said she would ensure that White Plains Hospital continues to deliver excellent patient-centered care to the community. She also will seek ways to leverage the Hospital’s alliance with Montefiore to improve care for patients in White Plains. She faces a busy first year on the job. This fall, the Hospital is opening three new facilities: a new six-story building that will be the center of the Hospital’s expanded and renovated campus; a new cancer center that will nearly double the size of the Hospital’s cancer program; and a 24,000 square-foot multispecialty outpatient medical facility in Armonk that will offer urgent care, primary care, pediatrics, imaging, and a wide range of medical specialties.

“The Hospital’s future is bright, and that is good for White Plains, Westchester County, and the region, as well as our patients, physicians, and staff,” Fox said. “I am so pleased to have an opportunity to continue to move our Hospital forward and keep us focused on what we do best: meeting our patients’ needs and expectations, and providing them with exceptional healthcare.”

WPCNR PLAYLAND GO ROUND. From The Westchester County Board of Legislators. April 30, 2015:

Wednesday, the Board of Legislators (BOL) Labor, Parks, Planning and Housing (LPPH) Committee met jointly with the Budget and Appropriations Committee to continue the BOL review process for Standard Amusement’s management agreement to operate Playland Amusement park.  Appearing on behalf of Standard Amusements was Nick Singer who runs Standard Amusements, Jack Falfas, an amusement park industry management expert who would be the onsite manager at Playland and Andy Maniglia, an advisor to Standard.

Wednesday’s committee meeting dealt with Standard’s financials.  (all documents associated with today’s meeting can be found on the BOL website at WestchesterLegislators.com)  Mr. Singer presented projections for the full fifteen year term of the management agreement, including; revenue, employee salaries, marketing expenses, operating costs, overhead and more.

A major discussion point in today’s meeting was how Standard’s financial projections would impact the County’s ongoing debt service associated with the park.

According to Standard’s projections, in the first year of the operating agreement, the county would realize revenue from Playland that would approximate the amount of debt service.  This is attributable to the one time, upfront payment of $2.25 million dollars from Standard.  In years 2-7, revenues from Playland operations are not expected to cover the debt service.

Through the 7.5% share of Playland’s profits and the $300,000 annual payment to the county, Standard’s projections shows that the debt service will be covered through those revenues for years 8-15.

BOL Chairman Michael Kaplowitz (D) Somers, who is a Certified Financial Planner in his professional career said, “Based on our experience and discussions with Standard to this point, I expect that they will continue to provide the financial detail and clear vision for Playland that Legislators will need in order to approve this agreement.”  Kaplowitz added, “Today’s meeting laid out Standard’s projections for revenue and expenses, I’m looking forward to hearing their plans for how we achieve that success.”

Legislator Sheila Marcotte (R) Eastchester, Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee said, “The Standard Amusements team and the County Executive have done a good job of striking a deal that is fair for Standard, fair for the County and above all else, protects taxpayers by laying out a plan that will immediately begin to mitigate Playland’s drain on our tax levy.”  Marcotte added, “I look forward to continuing this vetting process and I am hopeful that at long last we have found the right operator with the necessary resources to return Playland to its, ‘tax-neutral’,  former glory.”

Legislator Peter Harckham (D) North Salem,  Chairman of the LPPH Committee which is the lead committee reviewing the Standard proposal said,  “A lot of important information came out of today’s Committee meeting and some additional questions have arisen from as well.  I’m looking forward to continuing our review of Standard’s proposal especially regarding their capital plan.  For the past six or eight years, the park has not been maintained as well as it should have been and I hope that Mr. Singer’s team is prepared to detail how they will remediate the state of disrepair that currently exists.”  Harckham added, “The LPPH Committee will be touring Playland with Mr. Singer and his team on May 7th.  I expect many of our questions about the physical condition of Playland to be answered at that time.”

Attached is a schedule of the remaining BOL Committee meetings to review the Playland proposal.  Today’s meeting as well as all the Playland Committee review meetings can be seen on the BOL website at WestchesterLegislators.com.