It’s pretty much the same in any community across the country – residents either love their local hospital, or hate it.

The perception of Selma’s local hospital is one in which Barry Keel is very much aware.

Keel, the new chief executive officer at Vaughan Regional Medical Center, hopes to change that perception.

He said one of his clear goals is to stabilize the level of confidence and trust that local residents have in Vaughan.

Showing that they care is going to be a top priority for the hospital, he said.

“People really don’t care what we know until they know we care. We’ve got to establish the fact within our community that Vaughan Regional does care,”

he said.

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc., which owns Vaughan, began its search for a new CEO earlier this year following Steve Mahan’s resignation.

During the first week of October, the Vaughan family will expand to include new chief nursing officer (CNO) Cherie Sibley and chief financial officer (CFO) Mike Long.

With new leadership at the Vaughan Regional Medical Center, and with many qualified doctors and medical professionals in the area, Selma has an opportunity to excel in the level of healthcare provided to its residents, as well as those in surrounding communities.

In fact, Selma can be a central location for high-quality medical care throughout the Black Belt.

We expect that with these changes at Vaughan, we’ll begin to see that happen.