METROPLEX NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Susan Kolodziejczyk, 254-519-8200 December 28, 2007
For Immediate Release
Long time Metroplex physician named Chief of Staff
KILLEEN – Frederick Barnett, M.D. has been named Chief of Staff for Metroplex Health System, effective Wednesday, December 19.
The promotion fills a position briefly left vacant by the resignation of Adolph Mares, M.D. Dr. Mares held the position for one year. Dr. Barnett will fill the remainder of Dr. Mares' term, then his own two-year term, for a total of three years as Chief of Staff. “He did a great job and I commend him for his hard work,” Dr. Barnett said. “As for me, I know what I'm getting into and one of my goals is to make sure we continue the consistent high quality of health care here.” Dr. Barnett previously served a term as Chief of Staff from 2002-2004 and has been the Vice Chief for the past year.
Dr. Barnett said one of the things that's kept him at Metroplex for so long, is that he has been allowed to develop his own style, and he also gets to practice medicine the way he's always wanted to.
“Quality patient care tops the list. We must remember we are here for the patient. Other priorities are to work for future growth, to help the hospital reach its full potential, and to improve communication across the board.”
“I think for a hospital and medical staff to operate effectively and efficiently in providing that quality care, it requires not only highly skilled healthcare professionals and administrators, but also good communications between these individuals, so they can work well together. It takes a cooperative effort and that starts with base line trust and respect for those with whom you work.”
“I see myself as being an intermediary, facilitating the sharing of ideas and concerns, and understanding the various perspectives, but most importantly, the quality of patient care is what I'm most focused on maintaining.” “One of my roles is to establish and nurture the hospital's relationships, and share resources of any type. I see myself as a liaison in that role. I also want to improve our affiliation with the military.”
“Over the next couple of years I expect we will see the affiliation with Scott & White grow in a healthy way. We will have added more sub-specialties so that our patients can be seen in our community. If we do this the right way, all will benefit, and it will raise the level of services to our community. I think it can be done, but it’s going to take a lot of hard work, mutual respect and trust with all parties involved.”
Dr. Barnett serves on the six-member educational advisory committee for Toshiba. He has traveled and will continue as much as possible to travel across the country for Toshiba America Medical Systems Speaker's Bureau, to train other radiologists and cardiologists on how to perform and interpret cardiac CT scans. CT angiography provides a non-invasive means of identifying and diagnosing coronary artery disease. Dr. Barnett has made it his mission to make this procedure part of the normal preventive care for patients at risk for development of heart disease. Dr. Barnett is one of the nation's leading doctors in the use of the 64 Slice CT for diagnosis of heart disease.
Dr. Barnett is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at Harrisburg Hospital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and his residency in Diagnostic Radiology from Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, California. He is board certified from the American College of Radiology and served 14 years on active duty with the U.S. Army Medical Corps before retiring as a Major. He and his wife Krystyn have two children, Frederick,12 and Alexandria, 10.
In closing Dr. Barnett said, “I care deeply about my hospital our patients and community. I care about and respect the hard work that my colleagues do and I want to do whatever I can to help us keep our close relationships solidified so we can look forward to our future growth.”
About Metroplex
Metroplex health system is the primary healthcare provider for Coryell, Bell and Lampasas counties, offering a wide array of medical and wellness services. The 236 bed, multi-campus facility is a not-for-profit Christian organization operated as a community service by the Adventist Health System, which manages more than 560 hospitals worldwide.