Alumni - Spotlight
Rob Calhoun
Rob Calhoun once heard a CEO say, “Healthcare
administrators have a great responsibility to the people that we serve;
we can have that same impact on individuals with a pen and paper that
physicians do with a scalpel and suture.” Today, Calhoun is
living those words as the Chief Operating Officer at Our Community
Hospital (OCH) in Greenville, North Carolina.
He notes that employees and patients that visit the hospital depend on
him to assure their well-being, and he enjoys having a positive impact
on their lives. In addition, he enjoys working in a smaller hospital
because “I can make things happen quickly and produce immediate
impacts.” For example, Calhoun’s biggest accomplishment to
date is securing grants to completely revamp the Radiology Department.
OCH is located in a rural area, so transferring patients to larger
facilities and accessing larger specialists was problematic. In
December 2005, the hospital opened its new radiology suite with
computerized radiography, a technology which allows OCH physicians to
view and send x-rays in a virtual, filmless environment. They now have
the capability to submit x-rays practically anywhere and receive an
emergent interpretation from a radiologist within minutes. For a rural
facility running a 24/7 emergency room, this accessibility to
specialists is an enormous benefit to the healthcare needs of the
community.
There is no typical day for Calhoun. Mornings are filled with committee meetings to discuss departmental issues and compliance. Afterwards, he schedules administrative rounds throughout the hospital to see how employees are doing; he makes a point to round again later in the afternoon after shift changes. Afternoons are dedicated to getting caught up on paperwork and returning phone calls. He spends a lot of time on the computer performing audits and internal analysis of current budgets and operations.
As for advice to students interested in healthcare administration, Calhoun notes that there is “no substitute for seeing first-hand the true inner workings of the profession.” While most people think of doctors and nurses, there are many other facets to healthcare. “People forget about billing, compliance, legal, strategic planning, administration, maintenance, dietary, human resources.” Calhoun strongly encourages getting as much exposure as possible through internships or residencies.
Calhoun earned a Master in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Clemson. While at Clemson, he was active in IPTAY Collegiate Club and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, tennis, basketball, and flag football. “And, of course, I devote a lot of time to following Clemson football.”