This month marks an exciting change for my wife and I as we move to Marquette, and I begin my journey as the CEO of UP Health System-Marquette.

I am originally from Minnesota and I am thrilled to be back in the Midwest. We recently made the move to the U.P. with our two dogs, and we can’t wait to take them out to play in the snow again!

Most recently, I served as CEO of Maria Parham Medical Center, another Duke LifePoint Healthcare facility in Henderson, North Carolina.

My time at Maria Parham taught me a lot about what it means to be part of the Duke LifePoint network and how to leverage the access to clinical experts and operational resources for the benefit of our local community.

In my short time at UPHS-Marquette, I have learned a lot about the hospital and this community, but I know I have a lot more to learn. I’m eager to hear from each of you about the state of our hospital, and I’m also eager to share my experiences and perspective with this community.

Part of what excites me about joining UPHS Marquette is the tremendous legacy of care and commitment to this region that is overwhelmingly evident.

I’ve heard and continue to hear so many inspiring stories about the great dedication and compassion of our team. I know we have many positive initiatives underway – a new hospital campus, strong quality and satisfaction improvement efforts, and the addition of new services including complex heart care. I look forward to sharing more about these important efforts soon.

I’m also well aware of the challenges that the hospital has faced and the concerns that many in the community have raised. I can’t sit where I am today – new to my position – and tell you that I have all the answers to every obstacle, but I can tell you that I’m committed to ensuring we are a trusted community partner, a provider of high-quality care and services, a great place to work and practice medicine, and the premier choice for healthcare throughout this region.

In the weeks and months to come, I hope you will see firsthand that I am truly motivated by helping people and that I won’t settle for anything less than excellence.

Our team is working hard to achieve this. We are accelerating efforts to recruit top-notch medical professionals. We are evaluating services to ensure we’re meeting our communities’ evolving healthcare needs.

We are making sure our staff have the resources and support they need to provide the best care possible. And, we are building on the great work already underway to improve quality care and the overall patient experience.

While at Maria Parham, I was able to drive significant improvements, including employee and physician satisfaction and engagement, and was instrumental in re-establishing the hospital as a cornerstone of the community as a high-quality healthcare provider, a key employer and a significant economic engine.

Also while at Maria Parham, I led the hospital to earn numerous awards and accolades, some of which include recognition as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures from The Joint Commission and a Most Wired Award for effectively using technology to enhance patient care.

As you know, I am a Minnesota native. I attended Saint John’s University in Collegetown, Minnesota, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in education and coaching. I later earned a masters of healthcare administration and masters of business administration from University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management in Minneapolis.

Outside of my work, I enjoy spending time with my wife, Jessica, a family medicine physician, and our aforementioned two four-legged babies, Angel and Sammy, both cocker spaniels we adopted from rescue organizations.

Over the next few weeks, you will see a lot of me in the community. Please, introduce yourself and say hello. I’d love to meet you and hear your thoughts on our hospital and how we can be an even better community partner and place for care.

Together, I am confident that we will strengthen UPHS-Marquette for the future and advance the many ways we are making communities healthier.

Editor’s note: Brian Sinotte is chief executive officer of UP Health System-Marquette.