Anderson Takes the Reins at Houlton Regional Hospital

Houlton, Maine—The Board of Directors of Houlton Regional Hospital is proud to welcome Shawn Anderson as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The official appointment went into effective on June 1st, 2020. Anderson is responsible for overseeing the hospital, delivering the best quality of patient care, setting standards for operational excellence, implementing clinical procedure and policy, and creating an environment and culture that focuses on fulfilling the organization’s mission, vision, and values.  While he is new to the CEO position, Anderson is not a new face at HRH. He was first introduced to the Board in the fall of 2018 by the former CEO Tom Moakler. Moakler, who had been CEO since 1997, met Anderson through hospital collaborative meetings and soon began to realize that was Anderson would be the perfect candidate to succeed him as CEO upon his retirement. He was hired as the Director of Operations in October of 2018 to begin the 18-month transition period to take his place as CEO.  Anderson was immediately well received by both the Board of Directors and the Medical Staff.  Shawn’s impressive qualities as an administrator quickly earned him admiration and respect from the management team and hospital staff at HRH.

Shawn joins HRH after having served most recently as Chief Operating Officer at Cary Medical Center in Caribou, Maine for the past 15 years.  He built his career having spent considerable time focusing on business development, corporate management, promoting Service Excellence, and operational and financial strategies.  Anderson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from University of Maine at Presque Isle, and Master of Business Administration and Management from Husson University. Shawn is a native of Caribou and currently resides in Presque Isle with his wife Leslie and their three Labrador retrievers.  They have four adult children.

Board President Lynette Mclaughlin shares, “Shawn’s enthusiasm, leadership style and expertise are exactly what we are looking for. On behalf of the Board and myself, we are looking forward to working with Shawn in meeting the healthcare needs of all the communities served by Houlton Regional Hospital. We feel incredibly fortunate to have found someone of Shawn’s caliber and vast experience to take over the helm of our hospital.”

Solomon Olabiyi MD, President of the Medical Staff expresses, “We are pleased to have Shawn on our team, as he is an intelligent, dependable, responsible, and compassionate CEO.” He also adds, “Mr. Anderson is a leader capable of offering the organization a brighter future. Welcome! We are glad you are part of our team.”

Anderson has hit the ground running at HRH since June 1st.  “It is my great pleasure to assume the role of CEO at Houlton Regional Hospital.  This is a wonderful organization made up of exceptional people, and I’m pleased to lead the organization into the future.  As a Critical Access Hospital, our mission is defined somewhat by the number of Inpatients that we can serve at any given time.  That doesn’t, however, restrict us from blossoming in other Outpatient areas of the hospital.  We’re committed to providing just as many services as we possibly can to the region, as long as we can provide those services with the highest quality and service to our valued patients.”  Anderson adds, “As Houlton’s largest employer, Houlton Regional Hospital provides a sizable economic impact to the southern Aroostook community.  We are deeply committed to seeing our positive economic and community involvement grow for the benefit of the communities we serve.  I’m planning to initiate a Summer Listening Tour with a large number of Community and Business Leaders to hear how we’re doing in meeting patient needs, and to better understand how Houlton Regional Hospital might partner with the southern Aroostook community for a stronger future.  I couldn’t be happier to take the reins at Houlton Regional.  I believe our future is bright.”