On November 1, Silvia Ernst, MD, became HAS’ first Chief Operating Officer. In this role, she will manage day-to-day operations and oversee the hospital’s 525+ employees, acting as a liaison between the clinical staff and the administration.
Dr. Silvia graduated from the University of Zurich and has been practicing as a physician since 1996 and as an internal medicine specialist since 2003. She is already very familiar with HAS, having served three years as Medical Director from September 2010 to August 2013. In the years since then, Dr. Silvia was practicing in a small hospital in Switzerland. She enjoys both practicing and having the opportunity to teach younger physicians.
As COO, Dr. Silvia is the primary person on the administrative team who is in regular contact with physicians, building relationships, monitoring performance and taking action when there are problems. Her main goal, she says, is to support the physicians in improving the quality of care in the hospital.
“I understand what’s going on in the hospital because I worked on the ground in the hospital,” Dr. Silvia says. “I see the need for more personnel, more materials, more space. I think, however, even with what we have now, we can accomplish great things.”
Dr. Silvia is looking forward to collaborating with HAS’ Medical Director Dr. Bien-Aimé to implement new management strategies and develop processes to help the staff work more efficiently. “I am a person who wants to listen and understand the problems and encourage others to take part in the decision—so that everyone is thinking about practical solutions,” she says.
She has enjoyed her return to Deschapelles and the reunion with staff, and was pleased to see the recent renovations in the wards.
Please join us in welcoming back Dr. Silvia by making a donation today. The funds will help HAS continue to raise the bar on the quality of patient care.