The chief operating officer at Copley Hospital in Morrisville will become the new president and chief executive officer of Copley Health Systems Inc. when Melvyn Patashnick retires this year.
Arthur “Art” Mathisen started at Copley in July and is a former administrator for military hospitals. He will take over for Patashnick, who has been chief executive officer for 10 years and has been in the business for 30 years.
In a statement, Nancy Putnam, chair of the hospital’s search committee, called Mathisen an “inspiring leader” who “provides a unique blend of military and private health care leadership experience that has resulted in building high-performing teams comfortable with change.”
Putnam said the board of trustees at the hospital decided to give Mathisen the job after conducting a national search. “It was Art’s personal commitment to delivering exceptional care in a rural community hospital setting that made him our CEO,” she said.
Copley is one of the smallest hospitals in Vermont. In the current fiscal year, it expects to make about $61 million from treating patients. It is also planning to upgrade a surgical unit this summer for the first time in more than 35 years.
Mathisen is a triathlete who lives in Elmore with his wife and three children. He has been a health care administrator for 16 years at military and private hospitals in Virginia, Maryland, California and South Korea. He has a bachelor’s degree in public management and a master’s in health administration.
“Together we can navigate the challenges ahead, and continue to honor our commitment of providing access to excellent care regardless of the ability to pay,” Mathisen said in a statement. “Everything we do is for our patients, community, and the future of our community hospital and health care providers in the area.”
