Page 23 - Brunswick Chamber - The Anchor

SPOTLIGHT: MIKE SCHERNECK
His plans for after retirement aren’t set in
stone, but Scherneck isn’t leaving the Golden
Isles. He and his wife have grown to love it
since moving here in 2003 from Pennsylvania
to take the position as Health Sytem chief
financial officer.
He pointed to a photo of a sunset over a
marsh taken from a dock, displayed on canvas
in three separate pieces hanging on his wall.
“We used to live on Oak Grove Island and
that was our backyard,” he said. “I grew up
in Philadelphia in a row house and I used
to look out the back window and see the
backs of other row houses.”
“Some people say, ‘oh, I want
the big-city lights,’” Scherneck
said. “There’s something to be said
about this place, to be able to see
people, to recognize people you
know and to be recognized.”
Southeast Georgia Health System has
grown significantly since Scherneck brought
his talents to Glynn County. The $142 million
master renovation and expansion project of
the Brunswick hospital is nearly complete,
and Scherneck couldn’t be happier with the
results. Sixteen new operating rooms that can
accommodate advanced surgical equipment and
robotic technology and a new inpatient floor with
32 private patient rooms are two highlights.
“The other thing we’ve been able to do is
replace the infrastructure,” Scherneck said. “That
makes everything more efficient and improves
the quality of everything we do.”
Additional updates to the hospital include
more than 12,000 square feet of new space for
the emergency department that includes two
trauma rooms and 15 additional treatment rooms,
HEALTH SYSTEM
bringing the total to 50.
ACCOLADES
During his tenure, Scherneck led numerous UNDER SCHERNECK
initiatives to enhance the Health System’s ability
2021: Georgia Trend includes
to provide quality healthcare to the communities
Brunswick Campus in its Top
it serves, including creation of a physician strategy
Medium Hospital List
and the growth of the affiliated physician practice
2021: Georgia Trend includes
group, Southeast Georgia Physician Associates.
Camden Campus in its Top
He helped create partnerships, such as Coastal
Small Hospital List
Community Health, a regional alliance with
Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Fla. 2021: Brunswick Campus
awarded American Orthopaedic
Amid the challenges associated with day-to-
Association’s® Own the Bone
day operations of a bustling healthcare system, Program Star Performer for
2020 brought the COVID-19 pandemic and an the eighth year in a row
entirely new set of challenges.
2020: Brunswick Campus
“We’re the sole community hospitals here ranked high performing in
and in St. Marys, and if we weren’t taking care “Heart Failure” and “COPD” by
of these patients, where would they go?” U.S. News & World Report
Scherneck said. 2020: Health System receives
That meant there was no option for diversion American Heart Association/
when the COVID patient load peaked at 170 in American Stroke Association’s
Get With The Guidelines®
2021, Scherneck said.
Stroke Silver Plus Quality
“We rose to the challenge to make decisions Achievement Award
in a shorter period than we normally might have
2020: Health System receives
been accustomed to. We’ve been required to be
LifeLink® of Georgia Workplace
creative and resilient,” Scherneck said. Partnership for Life
He also touted the hospital’s initiative to Platinum Award
vaccinate people in the Golden Isles. More than
2019: Brunswick Campus
50,000 vaccines had been administered by designated Baby-Friendly
November and the number was increasing. hospital by Baby-Friendly
USA, Inc.
Scherneck also worked with the Health System’s
Board of Directors to find a successor to take over 2017: Scherneck named CEO/
following his departure on January 7, 2022. Administrator of the Year by
the Council on Auxiliaries/
“I’m very proud to have served the Health
Volunteers of the Georgia
System, my fellow team members, and this
Hospital Association.
community,” Scherneck said. “Our community
is such that we are friends and family caring for
friends and family and I am honored to have
played a part in that service commitment.”
Brunswick-Golden Isles Community Magazine • The Anchor • BrunswickGoldenislesChamber.com 23