PARKERSBURG — The President and CEO of WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center was honored for his service to the community.
Steve Altmiller received a Spirit of Wood County Award on Monday before the Wood County Commission during their regular meeting.
Alltmiller recently announced his retirement as the head of the local hospital. He will be retiring on Aug. 31.
Altmiller has been with Camden Clark for over six years. As president and CEO, Altmiller led the organization through the COVID 19 pandemic.
“It took a lot of people to get through COVID,” he said. “I am pleased with what we did.”
President and CEO of WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center Steve Altmiller, surrounded by members of the hospital leadership team, received the Spirit of Wood County Award on Monday from the Wood County Commission. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
Commissioner Jimmy Colombo said he spent over 20 days at the hospital when he was recovering from COVID and commended the care he received at that time.
“It was very good,” he said, adding COVID hit him hard.
He also commended Altmiller’s leadership style in getting people working together while also giving valuable experience.
Altmiller said the hospital staff and doctors really came together to deal with COVID as well as a supportive community who stepped up and supported the hospital with making masks and dropping food off for people who were working at the hospital.
“The thing I have loved about this job has been the community and its people,” Altmiller said. “It is rich with good people.
“It has been a pleasure to live and work here.”
Commission President Blair Couch said he felt the community really welcomed Altmiller to the area.
Altmiller said he first came to the area during the winter and did not have a winter coat, having moved from Texas. He said Couch loaned him a coat when they first met at a community event.
“You have been a good asset to Wood County,” Couch said.
Sean Smith, now president of WVU Medicine Wetzel County Hospital, a position he has held since January 2021, and the chief operating officer of Camden Clark, will succeed Altmiller as Camden Clark’s CEO beginning in September. Smith was present Monday at the commission meeting.
“He is ready to take over,” Altmiller said. “His experiences inside and outside the hospital has made him a capable leader to follow me.”
The commission commended Smith as well as his father, Greg, who used to be the president at Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Parkersburg.
A St. Marys native, Smith is a two-time graduate of Marshall University and joined Camden Clark in 2011. He has held various management positions, including chief operating officer, vice president of physician enterprises and clinical integration, vice president of operations, executive director of Camden Clark Physician Corporation, and director of physician recruitment.
“It is a life of service and it is very rewarding,” Smith said.
He said Altmiller had an incredible impact on the hospital and many people throughout the area.
“For someone who has never taken care of a patient you had a huge impact on patient care here,” Smith said to Altmiller. “Your presence and influence will be felt for many years.”
Altmiller praised all the people who worked at the hospital, especially the hospital leadership team, many who were with him on Monday.
“One person cannot affect change, it takes a team,” he said. “A leader should say, ‘Look at what my team did.’
“Getting us through COVID was a team effort and expansion to southside (south Parkersburg) was a team effort.”
“We appreciate the whole team,” Commissioner Bob Tebay said.
The hospital has had high rankings in a number of services, procedures and customer satisfaction surveys.
Altmiller praised the area and its people.
“This has been my favorite engagement as a hospital CEO,” he said. “People here have been willing to change and willing to innovate and willing to learn.
“That is how you make progress.”