Where some people see a challenge, Tom Beeman (pictured, left) sees an opportunity. As the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Lancaster General health system and hospital, he brings experience, energy and a positive outlook to his new role.

“Lancaster General is exactly the kind of health system I want to be a part of,” Tom explains. “It’s community-based. We’re providing care to our neighbors. Our stakeholders and community members are the same people.”

Having only been at the helm of Lancaster General since June 1, Tom is still learning as much as he can—as quickly as he can—about our community and the people who live and work here. Because Lancaster General is doing well, he says he will invoke the Hippocratic oath, “First do no harm.” He’s been meeting with employees, physicians, trustees and community members to help him plan for future opportunities for Lancaster General.

“People have different gifts. I want to let our staff use their gifts to benefit both our patients and themselves,” he says.

Tom comes to Lancaster General by way of Nashville, Tenn., where he was the head of Saint Thomas Health Services since 1999. Saint Thomas, part of the Ascension Health system, is a 1,400-bed, five-hospital system. Tom initially announced his retirement from Saint Thomas in early 2005. His original plans were to relax, do some writing and teach at Vanderbilt University. But when the opportunity to lead Lancaster General surfaced, Tom felt it was something he was meant to do.

With family and friends in the area, Tom already knew a fair amount about Lancaster. Now 51 years old, Tom was born in Baltimore and moved to Delaware County, Pennsylvania, when he was 10 years old. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from St. Joseph University in Philadelphia, an MBA from Widener University and is a doctoral candidate at Vanderbilt University. He has worked at Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia, Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, Franciscan Health System and the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia.

Having lived in the Northeast for years before moving to Tennessee, Tom says he was eager to return, but notes that he came to appreciate the rhythm of lifestyle he found in the South.

“I also came to enjoy something I originally knew nothing about—folk and country music. You’d see famous stars like Amy Grant, Loretta Lynn and Vince Gill just walking around the streets of downtown Nashville,” he says.

Still, he’s happy to embark on this new chapter in his life. An avid reader, Tom loves learning about history, management and leadership. “Understanding the past helps provide direction for the future,” he explains.

Tom characterizes his leadership style as collaborative—one that is based on integrity and mutual respect. “You can’t lead people who don’t want to be led or take them where they don’t want to go,” he says.

He takes his role as a leader seriously. He’s written a book on the topic and has taught courses at Vanderbilt University.

Tom is a person with many interests. In his spare time, he and his wife Elizabeth enjoy traveling. He just completed a trip to Italy and once hiked to the base camp of Mt. Everest in Nepal. “I wouldn’t recommend that. It was really hard and I lost 20 pounds,” he admits.

He’s also deeply connected to the Naval Reserves, where he serves as a commanding officer of a medical unit in San Diego, a commitment that takes him to California one weekend a month.

(Pictured, right) Ken Stoudt, Chairperson, Lancaster General Board of Directors, says that both the Board and selection committee are excited about what Tom is bringing to the Lancaster General team.

“He exceeded all our qualifications,” Ken says. “He is bright, visionary, market-savvy and, most importantly, he has compassion and concern for the dignity of patients.”

Tom’s strong core values and team-building approach also impressed the Board, as did his work experience. “We wanted a candidate with a successful career in leading a larger healthcare system than Lancaster General,” Ken says. “We felt Tom’s experience would help us grow, remain financially sound and successfully transition to the next level.”

As Lancaster General continues to grow to meet the healthcare needs of our community, the Board and entire team at Lancaster General are looking forward to the energy and vision Tom brings to the table.