Kosciusko Community Hospital's new chief executive officer said Monday it's too early to tell what, if any, weaknesses the hospital has that need to be addressed.

He's still meeting with management and physicians and learning about the hospital.

"Until I get input and comments" from the hospital board and staff, "I couldn't tell you what the weaknesses are," said Michael L. Mullins, 38.

He said he doesn't see many weaknesses and he gives credit for that to former KCH CEO Wayne Hendrix, who retired July 1.

A thorough review of the hospital needs to be performed first, Mullins said, and then he, the advisory board and the medical staff can "carve out a vision for the hospital together."

Mullins grew up in El Paso, Texas. His father was in the military, so his family moved around a lot, he said.

He received his political science degree from the University of Texas, El Paso. He then received his master's degree in health care administration from Trinity University, San Antonio.

"From then on I worked in a variety of health care settings," including managing city hospitals, he said.

For the last seven years, Mullins said, he's been a Quorum (now Triad) employee.

Since 1998, he was the CEO of Unimed Medical Center - St. Joseph's Hospital, Minot, N.D. Before that, he was president and CEO of Nevada Regional Medical Center, Nevada, Mo., where he was responsible for operating a 97-bed acute care hospital, a 112-bed nursing home, a 37-bed Alzheimer's center, a rural health clinic, a home health agency and a hospital foundation.

Before 1995, Mullins was the CEO at Beaumont Regional Medical Center, Beaumont, Texas, and the CEO at HCA Parkway Hospital, Madison, Wis.

He said, "I've had a lot of good assignments in my career and I'm happy to be here."

During the interview process for the KCH job, Mullins said, he visited the hospital twice. The interview sessions, he said, were the most in-depth interviews he ever encountered. "I was very impressed," he said.

Triad then offered him the position and the review board approved.

Mullins has been married to Meliss for the last 16 years. They have two children - Nicholas, almost 12, and Austin, 6.

His family was one reason he wanted the KCH position and wanted to move to Warsaw. He said he always puts his family first and they were looking for a place with good schools and a nice clean community. He said he found that here.

He also wanted to work with a group of professionals and he found that at KCH. The people he met, he said, have a high level of commitment to their jobs and community.

"I have a tendency to be extremely loyal to the hospitals, companies I work with," he said.

The other reason for taking the job, he said, is that KCH offers a strong corporate and community partnership that he "wants to be a part of."

He said he is usually pretty accessible to the media and public.

What's important for the community to know about him, he said, is, "I think the first one is that there'll be a lot of honesty and integrity" in the way he does his job and leads his life. His family happiness, he said, is "extremely important to me."

Finally, he said, he is pleased to be here in the community and wants to make sure he and the hospital live up to its traditions. [[In-content Ad]]