Eleze Armstrong understands the healing power of a dedicated, professional, and caring hospital staff working as a close-knit team.

It is the first thing she came to appreciate after taking over as chief executive officer for Doctors Hospital of Manteca earlier this year.

And while she was told to expect a staff committed to delivering the best possible health care to their neighbors in the community as evidenced by much of the staff’s longevity what jumped out at her before she arrived in Manteca was the medical procedures and diagnostic equipment available at the 73-bed hospital.

“There are advanced and complex procedures you typically can’t obtain at a small community hospital,” Armstrong said.

 The long list of things medical professionals would expect to see primarily at hospitals twice the size of Doctors Hospital run the gamut from a Da Vinci Surgical System — a robotic surgery system that employs a minimal invasive surgery approach — to bariatric surgery.

Doctors Hospital has earned a reputation as one of the leading medical facilities for bariatric surgery for weight loss. It is reflected in both outcomes and patient count.

And while Tenet Healthcare’s commitment to having comprehensive and state-of-the-art diagnostic and surgical services as reflected in everything from breast healthcare to hip and knee replacement, Armstrong said Doctors Hospital has a crucial element that makes all of that investment even more effective — the commitment of staff to deliver compassionate care.

She said it has stood out even more during the additional stress the pandemic had placed on the staff all the way up from housekeeping and other critical support staff to front-line healthcare providers.

Armstrong said based on personal observations she has seen staff go above and beyond in their commitment to treat patients like family and neighbors — a hallmark of a small community hospital.

And when that is combined with cutting edge medical care and technology Armstrong said it has given Doctors Hospital “the capacity to deliver quality service.”

And while the pandemic sharpened the compassion and care the staff offered despite the additional stresses including concerns for their own health, Armstrong said it brought with it another downside besides the suffering from COVID-19.

“At the height of the pandemic many people delayed or avoided elective surgeries,” she pointed out.

And while that was due to health concerns involving hospitals dealing with the pandemic even though their protocols in keeping COVID-19 contained within facilities was largely a success, the delay of people seeking care or resolution for other serious maladies can — and is — having serious impacts on people’s health.

Armstrong said people need to avoid delaying elective surgeries.

She added that hospitals and the medical profession have learned a lot from the first two years of the pandemic. As such they are better equipped to handle COVID cases but to also proceed safely with other surgeries and services as well.

Armstrong is responsible for hospital operations, executive planning and directing medical services at the North Street medical facility that marked its 75th anniversary last month.

She replaced Dr. Murali Naidu who has since taken over the CEO post of Emanuel Medical Center, a sister hospital in Turlock.  

Armstrong joins Doctors Hospital of Manteca from Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, a sister hospital in San Luis Obispo, where she has served as Chief Operating Officer since 2018.

She previously served as the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Twin Cities Community Hospital, a sister hospital in Templeton. She started at Twin Cities in 2010 as Director of Imaging and Cardiovascular Services, then moved into the role of Market Director of Neuroscience Services before becoming CSO.

Armstrong is a graduate of the Tenet Leadership Academy. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Healthcare Administration from the University of Ottawa in Kansas and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Grand Canyon University in Arizona. She is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com