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New Members Join the Beebe Healthcare Board of Directors as Others Retire

Over the past several months, the Board of Directors of Beebe Healthcare has welcomed six new members, while at the same time has bid farewell to seven retiring members, thanking them for their commitment to assisting Beebe in providing quality healthcare to people visiting and living in southern Delaware. The seven members who retired had 101 total combined years of experience on the Board.

“The need for quality healthcare services that are accessible and affordable has continued to grow as our population has expanded,” says Board Chair, the Honorable William Swain Lee. “We have been fortunate at Beebe, a not-for-profit, community owned healthcare system, to have so many people throughout the region that have participated in so many ways to support this organization and to make sure that we can provide cutting edge, high quality, safe and accessible care.

“Our Board members have made a significant contribution as they have brought leadership experience from several different professions and industries, as well as an understanding and a voice of the populations in our region.”

New Board members are:

Gregory A. Bahtiarian, DO, a Board-Certified family physician and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Mid-Atlantic Family Practice, with locations in Lewes and Millsboro. Dr. Bahtiarian has practiced medicine locally for more than 15 years and has served in many leadership capacities. He has served on both the Beebe Medical Foundation Board and the Greater Lewes Foundation Board. He has served on the Delmarva Health Network Board since the organization was formed in 2013. He has served as Chief of Family Medicine at Beebe and continues to serve as Assistant Chief. Dr. Bahtiarian replaced Thomas L. King, who served on the board from 1999 to 2014. He was Chair of the Building and Equipment Committee, later known as Facilities and Infrastructure Committee.

James W. Bartle served Beebe as Vice President/Chief Financial Officer from 1988 until his retirement in 2012. During his tenure at Chief Financial Officer, Beebe experienced tremendous growth and success. Revenues grew from $20.8 million to $254 million. Beebe’s assets increased from $30.6 million to $285 million. Most notably, Mr. Bartle was responsible for managing several bond issues that helped finance the Clinical Building on Savannah Road in 1995, that supported the development of the Beebe Health Campus in 2003, and the opening of the Hudson Wing on Savannah Road in 2008. Mr. Bartle replaced William L. Berry, CPA, who served from 2001 to 2014. He served as Chair of the Audit and Corporate Compliance Committee and currently serves on the Beebe Medical Foundation Board.

R. Michael Clemmer served as Executive Director of the Beebe Medical Foundation from 2002 until his retirement in 2008. He has been a member of the Beebe Medical Center Auxiliary since 2003 and served as its President from 2010 to 2014. During his tenure at the Foundation, more than $17 million dollars was raised. Mr. Clemmer has been active in other areas of the community. He has served as a Board member and Executive Director of the Greater Lewes Foundation from 1999 to 2005, as a Commissioner on the Lewes Planning Commission from 1999 to 2005, and on the Financial Affairs Committee of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church from 2008 to 2013. Mr. Clemmer replaced Steven D. Berlin, MD, who served on the Board from 2000 to 2014. He served on the Beebe Physician Network Board for 15 years, 14 years of which as Board Chair.

Thomas J. Cooper joins the Board as the newly appointment Chairman of the Board of the Beebe Medical Foundation. Mr. Cooper is President of Cooper Realty Associates with offices in Seaford, Georgetown and Lewes. He is a Lewes resident and has been active in the community. He established his real estate company in 1984. Mr. Cooper serves as the Commissioner of the State of Delaware Magistrate Screening Committee, was a Delaware River and Bay Authority Commissioner, and is the first person ever elected from Sussex County to be Chairman of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Cooper replaced Paul Mylander as Chair of the Beebe Medical Foundation Board. Mr. Mylander continues as a member on both Boards.

Frank Czerwinski is an entrepreneur who brings more than 28 years of business and finance experience to Beebe. Since 2008, he has been the President and Owner of Cerwin Holdings Inc., which includes a chain of Burger King restaurants located in New Castle, Kent and Sussex Counties. He is also a partner in Eastern Associates, LLC, a real estate development company specializing in single family homes. Mr. Czerwinski’s prior business experience has been as assistant controller with the Sussex Trust Company, Director of Customer Service and Finance at Playtex, and various positions with Sara Lee, Scott Paper Co. and First USA Bank. He lives in Rehoboth Beach. Mr. Czerwinski has served on the Finance Committee for Beebe Healthcare since 2013 and actively supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the VFW and the Little Free Library Organization. Mr. Czerwinski replaced Patti D. Shreeve, who served from 2003 to 2014 and was a member of several Board committees.

Terry A. Megee, President of Floyd A. Megee Motor Company in Georgetown, is a second-generation Megee car dealer who brings vast business experience and a long-time love of Sussex County. Mr. Megee, who grew up in his father’s dealership, has been in the industry for 37 years, 20 years as a dealer. In 2009, he was nominated as "Delaware's Time Magazine Dealer of the Year.” Mr. Megee also serves on the Boards of Fulton Bank Delaware and the Delaware Auto & Truck Dealers Association. He was President of the Georgetown Boys & Girls Club from 2002 to 2011 and served as Vice President of the Georgetown Little League for 10 years. He also served on the Indian River School Board and as Chairman of the Trustees for Grace United Methodist Church. Mr. Megee replaced Joseph W. Booth, who served from 2003 to 2014. He participated on several Board committees.

Wesley E. Perkins brings to the Board more than 30 years of experience in health care leadership, human resources administration, organizational development and training. He is currently President of Wesmar Associates, which is based in Lewes. Previously, he was the Executive Director of Stockley Center in Georgetown and Delaware Psychiatric Center in New Castle. He also served as the Director of Human Resources, Temple University Hospital. He has served on the boards of The Council on Quality and Leadership, Towson, Maryland, The ARC of Delaware, and Ankh House, Georgetown, Delaware. Currently he is a Trustee of Delaware State University and a member of the Lewes Historical Society Board of Directors. Mr. Perkins replaced Robert H. Moore, who had served on the board from 2003 until 2014. He also was a member of several Board committees and is currently a member of the Beebe Medical Foundation Board.

Robert J. White also retired from the Board. He served from 1988 to 2014. From 1990 to 1998, he served as Treasurer, and then continued as a member of the finance committee until his retirement. He also served on the Beebe Physician Network Board since its inception in 1997, and was Secretary until 2007.

There were no changes to the Board officers who are: Judge Lee, Chair; Jacquelyn O. Wilson, EdD, Vice Chair; Jeffrey M. Fried, FACHE, President and CEO of Beebe Healthcare and Board Secretary; and Paul T. Cowan, Jr., DO, Chief of Emergency Services at Beebe Healthcare and Board Treasurer.

Beebe Healthcare is a not-for-profit community healthcare system with a charitable mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health for the people residing, working, or visiting in the communities we serve. It offers services throughout Southern Delaware including a 210-licensed-bed hospital, a cancer center, and outpatient facilities at multiple sites providing walk-in care, lab, imaging, and physical rehab services. For more information, please visit us online at www.beebehealthcare.org.