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After being on the job since June, officials with Andalusia Health have officially named Brian Springate the chief executive officer of the hospital. He has been serving as interim CEO since joining the hospital.

Springate (RN, CPPS) has held a variety of leadership roles in the healthcare industry, including that of CEO for Fleming County Hospital in Flemingsburg, Kentucky, chief operating officer of Logan Regional Medical Center in Logan, West Virginia, and chief nursing officer of Bourbon Community Hospital in Paris, Kentucky. Most recently, prior to his move to Andalusia, he served as chief operating officer of Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital.

Springate said several factors helped him and his wife, Melissa, also a healthcare professional, decide to make Andalusia their long-term home.

“The turning point for us is the community. We have found this community to be very welcoming, which isn’t always the case when you move to a new place. We immediately felt that we are part of the community, even outside of the hospital,” he said.

The new CEO added that the hospital staff also played a role in his decision.

“There is a high quality of care going on here from the hospital staff and the physicians,” Springate said. “There is a strong dedication to the community. They want things to be great and they work very hard even at a time when healthcare is not an easy job, probably as hard as any of us have ever seen.”

Dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is top-of-mind for Springate and the staff at Andalusia Health. As of Sept. 22, approximately 30-40 percent of all patients at the hospital were COVID-related.

“COVID is the overriding challenge we face. Vaccination rates are low but climbing. We have to consider how to handle this virus and how we balance that with the needs and safety of our staff and physicians. It’s our job to help them with their work-life balance. It has always been difficult, but more so now than ever before,” he said.

Another goal for the hospital is continuing efforts to recruit physicians to the area to fill more health needs as well as replacing those who may decide to retire.

After multiple moves throughout his professional life and as a self-described military brat, Springate said he is ready to make Andalusia a long-term home.

“I’ve lived so many places and this just seems like a perfect place to put down roots. Melissa and I have been married 30 years and our children are grown. It’s exciting for us to come to a place where we can support our community and play a leading role in creating positive change for community healthcare,” Springate said.

Developing community health initiatives is another area Springate welcomes. “We want the hospital to be seen as a catalyst for change when it comes to the health of our community. We want to develop and be involved in improving the overall health of our residents. Those types of projects are rewarding, both professionally and on a personal level.”

His wife, Melissa, is a radiologic technologist with more than 20 years of experience in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and has served in multiple quality roles throughout many organizations. Together, they have three grown children and multiple grandchildren, all of whom live in Kentucky.

“We are excited about this opportunity,” Springate said. “It is nice to be welcomed in a place where you feel you are needed and can make a difference.”