PRINCE FREDERICK, Md., Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- James Xinis, president and CEO of Calvert Memorial Hospital and Calvert Health System has said he plans to retire Feb. 28, 2015 after 27 years of service at the helm. His departure caps a distinguished career in healthcare administration that has spanned four decades.

"I've been privileged and honored to work alongside some of the best physicians and staff I have ever met," said Xinis. "I will miss the daily camaraderie and relationships I have built but I know the time is right to move on and that CMH has a bright future ahead."

He went on to add, "I feel good that I'm leaving at a time when the quality of patient care and safety is at an all-time high and the hospital is well-positioned strategically and financially for the future. There will be challenges but I am confident that this organization is up to taking on those challenges.

He said, "I am really going to miss working with all our employees, physicians and volunteers who every day make a big difference in people's lives."  

Xinis is largely credited with leading Calvert Memorial from a small, non-profit community hospital to a major Calvert institution and regional healthcare provider. In 2013, Calvert Memorial received the Leading Edge Award as Calvert County Business of the Year for its forward thinking, constant innovation and unwavering dedication to community.   

"Jim has led CMH through an era of tremendous change, setting a clear, strategic vision that has produced tremendous growth and tremendous quality and experience for the patient" said Kevin Nietmann, chairman of the board of directors for the health system.

Nietmann went on to add, "His countless contributions, leadership and steadfast commitment to patients, staff, physicians and the community have made CMH and Calvert Health System stronger and created a lasting legacy."

Widely respected as a leader of innovative medicine, CMH has scored many "firsts" along the way. It was the first to adopt hospitalist medicine in Southern Maryland; the first to implement critical care telemedicine in Maryland and the first to launch a community health information exchange in the state.

The largest private employer in Calvert County, CHS has over 1,200 employees and saw $138 million in gross revenue last year. Its subsidiaries include an employed physician network, a home health agency, a diagnostic imaging facility and centers for urgent care, radiation and physical therapy.

As the county grew, so did Calvert Memorial Hospital – expanding its campus through two major capital campaigns. This construction boom included three on-campus medical office buildings and new surgery, family birth and wellness centers that were followed by a much-expanded emergency department, a new Critical Care Unit and a concourse dedicated to outpatient services.

Before coming to CMH in late 1987 as President and CEO, Xinis had worked for 10 years at Prince George's General Hospital and Medical Center, working his way up to associate administrator before moving onto Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Cumberland as executive vice president.

While at CMH, he has been instrumental in helping to move CMH into prominence as a regional healthcare provider known for quality and innovative care. At the same time, he positioned the hospital as the lowest cost statewide for a 20-year consecutive period.

He was the force behind the establishment of "Best of Breed" clinical alliances with major tertiary centers that brought experts in breast diagnostic imaging and surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, pediatrics and gynecologic oncology close to home. Equally important, he helped make health care more accessible by adding satellites in Dunkirk, Solomons and the Twin Beaches.

In 2001, he helped create Calvert Healthcare Solutions, a non-profit healthcare organization to serve the uninsured in Calvert County. CHS was recently awarded a contract to serve as Southern Maryland's Regional Connector to the State Health Insurance Exchange.

Xinis has also been very active in statewide healthcare issues and has served in several leadership roles with the Maryland Hospital Association. In 1996, MHA awarded him its highest honor for distinguished service and "his tireless commitment and leadership on a range of healthcare policy and finance issues that have not only benefited Maryland hospitals but the patients they serve," said former MHA president Cal Pierson.

His understanding of healthcare policy issues and the rate-setting system continues to earn him the respect of his colleagues and a reputation as a statesman and a leader. He served on the American Hospital Association's Regional Policy Board for six years and he co-chaired the Maryland State Health Benefits Advisory Group that made recommendations about essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act.

In 2007, he was appointed to the Board of Directors at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and is the only Maryland hospital executive to serve in that capacity. He also serves on the board of VHA-Mid-Atlantic and is a member of the CEO Roundtable.

The CHS board of directors has put in motion a plan to ensure a smooth transition in leadership with the appointment of Dean Teague, who has been serving as Chief Operating Officer at CMH since 2012, as Xinis' replacement in March.

SOURCE Calvert Memorial Hospital