Radiologist takes the helm of New York hospital

A diagnostic radiologist has been named president and CEO of a 375-bed hospital in Rockland County, N.Y., just outside New York City. 

Mark Geller, MD, had been filling the role on an interim basis since last December for Nyack Hospital, an acute-care community institution founded in the 1800s. The hospital offered Geller the job as a permanent position, and he accepted, in late April.

In an interview with Radiology Business, Geller said his time as a radiologist in both hospital and outpatient settings helped prepare him for meeting the challenges of hospital administration.

“Radiologists are uniquely positioned to have significant leadership roles in hospital administration,” Geller said. “Wherever we have the opportunity to assume those leadership positions, we should.”

Geller began working for Nyack Hospital in 1989 and has held several titles over the years, including medical staff president and trustee board member.

Outside his service to the hospital, Geller has served as CEO of Hudson Valley Radiology Associates, chairman of the physician advisory board at RadNet, Inc., and vice chairman of the physician advisory board at Radiologix, Inc.

Geller said his radiology career helped familiarize him with other clinical departments, adding that he expects to draw from this experience base going forward.

“Radiology touches just about every discipline in medicine,” he said. “There are very few disciplines that don’t rely on imaging in one form or fashion. So it gave me the ability to have relationships with the entire spectrum of physicians.”

Geller described radiology as an especially dynamic specialty, one that helps keep its practitioners informed about contemporary medicine as a whole.

“As a radiologist, I had to be familiar with what was current and relevant and necessary for virtually every field of medicine,” he said.

In addition, the equipment used in radiology – and the work that goes into securing that equipment – can give radiologists experience making the kinds of impactful financial decisions hospital administrators must deal with on a daily basis.  

“The equipment is very expensive, so you don’t make those decisions lightly,” he said. “Every time we buy a piece of equipment, we have to make a business case for it, so that exercise helps on the business side.”

Looking ahead, Geller has a clear vision for the future of Nyack Hospital. One of his immediate goals is to strengthen communication and make sure everyone at the hospital is aligned on mission and vision.

“I want to reconnect my administration with our physician staff and our employees,” he said. “I want to do everything I possibly can to improve patient, employee and physician satisfaction.”

Geller is also looking forward to leading Nyack Hospital as it begins to focus more on value-based care than on volume.

The hospital is taking part in New York’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Program (DSRIP) and will focus on being more proactive in the community to avoid preventable hospital admissions.

“The hospital is participating in a significant way to transform how healthcare is delivered in the county we serve,” he said.