Huntingtown resident Barbara Polak, RN, MSN, was recently promoted to vice president of clinical services at Calvert Memorial Hospital. She has been employed at CMH since 1997. The board of directors also named longtime local physician and former chief of staff Dr. Robert Schlager as the hospital’s first vice president of medical affairs.

Schlager will also practice part-time at the Twin Beaches Community Health Center, a satellite of CMH in North Beach that provides primary and preventive health services for insured and uninsured patients on a sliding scale.

"Mrs. Polak enjoys an excellent reputation in the hospital from all staff levels," said CMH President and CEO Jim Xinis. "She is also well respected in the community …as a team leader and builder."

In January, CMH received $500,000, the largest grant awarded, from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission to improve access to care for residents with no health insurance. "Mrs. Polak was the architect of that grant," said Xinis, "which illustrates her effectiveness in bringing organizations together to address important health issues."

Polak who has served as director of ambulatory care services at CMH for the past five years will continue to manage those departments and add oversight of the emergency department, rehabilitation services and women and pediatric services.

She has a master's degree in community health nursing from The Catholic University of America. Polak has been in the Navy for 34 years and is currently a Captain in the Nurses Corps Medical Reserves. She is assigned to the National Navy Medical Center in Bethesda. She recently served as Senior Nurse Executive and the Executive Officer of her 500-plus-member reserve unit.

"I am honored to be able to serve the community," said Polak. "My goal is to make everyone feel comfortable coming to CMH for their care."

"My priority for the coming year is to focus on clinical excellence," she said, "while still emphasizing customer service and compassionate care in a timely manner. I see myself as a facilitator…helping our employees understand the importance of their role and to feel valued."

Xinis went on to add, "Dr. Schlager has a track record at CMH as a strong leader. He also has a keen desire to make sure the hospital is current in technology and service capability."

"He has a tremendous rapport with the other physicians and specialists on the medical staff," said Xinis. "Dr. Schlager focuses on the big picture and has a really good sense of the challenges facing doctors now and in the future."

Schlager came to Calvert County in 1978 and worked with Dr. Gerald Sterner for two years before starting his own practice. "I've seen many changes over the past 28 years," he said. "When I started, there were less than 20 physicians on the medical staff at CMH. Now, there are over 280."

He was chief of staff from 2004-2006 and vice chief for six years before that. Schlager was actively involved with the Medical Leadership Development Program at CMH and served on many medical committees and the board of directors.

In his new position as vice president of medical affairs, Schlager will advise the hospital administrative team and board of directors on issues such as credentialing, peer review, recruiting and continuing education. He will also serve as a liaison with local physicians.

Currently, the chief of staff, who is elected by the medical staff, gives time each week to the medical staff office but also has a private practice. The chief along with the other officers and department chairs serve voluntarily. They also represent the physicians on the hospital's board of directors and medical executive committee.

"I will be able to spend more time on the many complex issues of how medicine is practiced at CMH," said Schlager, who is giving up his own practice. But he stressed that his new role does not supersede the chief's position.

"I will work very closely with the chief of staff and medical executive committee," he said. "One of my roles is to provide continuity … with newer federal regulations there is an ongoing need to monitor how those changes are implemented."

He went on to add, "My whole life I've been dealing with individual patients. Now, I will be able to look at how medicine is delivered on a system-wide basis … I'm feeling energized. "