Patrick Flood leaves state government, takes position as rural nonprofit health care center CEO

Northern Counties Health Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center based in St Johnsbury with six locations serving Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom region, recently announced the hiring of Patrick Flood as its new Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director.
Flood had formerly served as Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and, prior to that, Deputy Secretary of the Agency of Human Services (AHS).
After twenty-nine years of working as a devoted public servant in various levels of state government, Flood reported that he will be retiring from employment with the State of Vermont at the end of July 2013.
NCHC Board President Kathy Hemmens said in a statement, ‘We had a very extensive search and we had many well qualified candidates. We wanted someone who had very good knowledge of Vermont and of the Northeast Kingdom, which is the area we serve. Patrick Flood has high level experience and is particularly knowledgeable about health care and services to the elderly, which NCHC provides. He is also very knowledgeable about current health care developments in Vermont. We believe he is the best person to lead the agency in this very challenging and exciting health care environment. He is s person who has dedicated himself in his career to enhancing service and health care for all Vermonters.’
According to the history page found on its Website, NCHC "was established in 1976 by community residents concerned about their poor access to health care. NCHC provides health care services in the medically-underserved, three-county region of northeastern Vermont known as the Northeast Kingdom. It does so through a rural network of six community health centers, two dental practices, a comprehensive AIDS/HIV+ care clinic, and a Medicare-certified home care and hospice division, and is in partnership with three different hospitals. Currently, Northern Counties provides care to over 18,000 individuals, over one-third of the 47,000 residents of the region. Over 75,000 visits are made each year."
The announcement issued by NCHC late last week stated that Flood will officially begin his duties on Monday, August 5th.
Reached for comment by e-mail and asked about his new career leading a small health care center serving one of the most rural regions within the state, Flood said, ‘NCHC is very well positioned to do great things for its constituents, in the coming arena of health care reform. With five (5) primary care practices, home health and hospice, dental services, pharmacy and other services it is an integrated, person-centered organization that can provide the kind of preventive and comprehensive services people want. It is organizations like NCHC that will make health care reform a reality.’
On what NCHC might have in the way of plans in these regards, he said, ‘hopefully we can expand services to more people. We can also improve integration of all health care services including hospital, home care, elder care and mental health services to get better outcomes for the people we serve.’
Since leaving his position as DMH Commissioner late last year, Flood had taken a position as an Operations Director in the Economic Services Division, overseeing four ESD offices (Barre, Morrisville, Hartford and Springfield). ESD is one of the divisions within the Department of Children and Families (DCF) of AHS.
A 2010 bio mentioned the following about him and his career (via 2010 Vermont Statewide Housing Conference Web page):
Patrick Flood â ¦ began his career in state government in 1984 as State Long-Term Care Ombudsman and in 1988 became the first Director of the Office of Public Guardian. In 1989 he was appointed Director of the Division of Licensing and Protection, which certifies Medicare and Medicaid providers, licenses nursing homes and board and care homes, and houses the unit that investigates abuse and neglect of elderly and disabled adults. In 1994 he assumed the position of Director of Advocacy and Independent Living, which manages all the home care and independent living services for Vermont. In 1999 he became Commissioner of the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living.
Prior to coming to state government he worked for a year as a caseworker with an Area Agency on Aging. He began his career in human services as a nurse’s aide and worked for seven years as a Licensed Practical Nurse in a variety of health care settings in different states including hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, private duty home care and several nursing homes.
Reflecting upon his career working within the field of humans services, including during his years in state government, Flood said, ‘I have been privileged to work on some very important changes. One is the reform of the long term care system so that people can live as independently as possible. The second is the reform of the mental health system so that it is more community based and consumer directed. In both cases, Vermont leads the nation. In both cases, creating the change required all parties to work together: providers, peers, advocates and the state system to create truly systemic change.’
When asked about what his fondest memories were from those previous years, Flood stated he has ‘met and worked with a lot of very talented and committed people. Some worked for the state; some worked for providers, some were people who needed services. I have many great memories of working with them to make a difference for Vermonters.’
In response to a question concerning what his other interests and pursuits were, he said, ‘I enjoy living in a rural place where I can have a garden and cut my own firewood. I also am involved in efforts to combat climate change, working with 350VT and other organizations.’
Source: Vermont Watch: http://vermontwatch.blogspot.com 7.1.2013