UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital to welcome new President & CEO

After 18 years at the helm of UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, Dr. Drake M. Lamen will retire in mid-April. Cecil M. Miller, III, a proven healthcare leader with more than 30 years of experience in rural healthcare, has been selected to succeed him as the next President and Chief Executive Officer of Chenango County’s sole hospital.

“Drake is retiring after a long and meaningful career.” said Joe Stagliano, Chair of UHS Chenango Memorial’s Board of Directors. “He has accomplished much during his tenure here and is leaving our hospital well positioned for the future.”

Lamen began his medical career in private practice in Windsor, before bringing his group under United Health Services (UHS) in the early 2000’s. He held a series of physician leadership roles within the region’s largest healthcare system, which lead him to UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital as Vice President of Medical Affairs in 2004. Two years later, he became the Norwich hospital’s President and CEO, as well as its Chief Medical Officer.

The organization Lamen will leave behind is much different than the one he walked into two decades ago, according to UHS President and CEO John Carrigg.

Under Lamen’s leadership, UHS Chenango Memorial has invested more than $110 million in its facility in the last ten years, he explained. A large portion of those investments were made under the umbrella of the Chenango Medical Neighborhood Plan — the multi-phase plan Lamen spearheaded to transform the 114-year-old institution’s delivery of care to the greater Chenango community.

“His vision has transformed this hospital from one in dire financial straits with aging infrastructure into a financially sustainable organization with flexible, modern spaces ready to meet the current and future needs of this community,” Carrigg said. “We wish him well as he transitions into his well-deserved retirement.”

According to Joe Stagliano, chair of UHS Chenango Memorial’s Board of Directors, Lamen shared his intention to retire with the hospital’s board and UHS senior leadership last summer, which gave the organization ample time to recruit his successor.

The selection process involved many stakeholders, including the UHS Chenango Memorial’s Board of Directors, Senior Staff, Medical Staff, and UHS system leaders.

“We took a considered approach and engaged an executive search firm who specializes in just this type of transition,” Stagliano explained.

Stagliano credited the investments Lamen has guided and his financial stewardship, along with the strength of the overall UHS system, for helping attract a robust pool of candidates from across the country.

Not only did they seek someone who has the experience, knowledge and expertise to lead UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, Stagliano said, but also someone who would be a good fit for both the organizational culture and the community. He and the other stakeholders involved in the process found that in Cecil Miller.

According to UHS Chief Operating Officer Kay Boland, Miller comes to UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital from UPMC Chautauqua, a 288-bed Community Hospital in Western New York, where he has served as the Vice President of Operations since 2013.

“Throughout his career, Cecil has focused on elevating access and engagement, promoting patient-centered care, and setting high standards for both quality and safety, all while achieving growth and strong financial results even during the pandemic,” Boland said.

Stagliano echoed Boland’s endorsement, noting Miller and his wife Lisa intend to relocate to the community.

“We believe Cecil’s commitment to community-focused care within a larger healthcare system, his collaborative leadership style, and his level of engagement with staff and community will make him an excellent fit for this key executive leadership role,” Stagliano said.

“At the end of the day, we all understand this is the most important decision we could make for our hospital and community. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the search. We wish Drake well and look forward to welcoming Cecil as the next President and CEO of UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital.”