Chamber Insider Blog

Thank you to Mark Rader, CEO of StoneSprings Hospital Center, for answering a few questions for us in our Behind the Business column this week!

Behind the Business: Mark Rader, StoneSprings Hospital Center CEO

1.  What is your role at StoneSprings Hospital?
Chief Executive Officer

2.  How did you get to where you are today in your career?
I have been very blessed to have had a wonderful family when I was growing up, and as an adult with mywife of 26 years and my daughter who is 11 years old.  I give God all of the glory for everything that I have been able to accomplish throughout my lifetime.  I entered the healthcare industry in 1991 following my graduation from Duke University with my Master’s Degree in Health Administration.  I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Radford University.  I started my career at Riverside Health System in Newport News, VA, and joined HCA in 1995 at Lewis-Gale Medical Center in Salem, VA, where I was Chief Operating Officer when I left to take my first CEO position.  This year marks my 20^th year with HCA, and I am honored to have served as the CEO of 5 hospitals within the HCA network.  

3.  What was your least favorite job you’ve ever had?
I can honestly say I have enjoyed every job I have had since I was a boy, mowing yards in the summer to earn extra money and helping my grandparents work in their garden.  My family taught me the value of working hard, and I learned as much as I could at each job – hearing the stories and wisdom from my elders, appreciating what past generations experienced, and knowing the importance of giving no less than 100% regardless of the job to be performed.  I learned early in life that the customer deserved no less than the best that I could offer. 
 
4.  What is your favorite thing about your current role at the hospital?
I am thoroughly enjoying the ability to form an entire team of people at StoneSprings Hospital Center from scratch.  I do not take for granted that opening a hospital from the beginning is the chance of a lifetime.  I like meeting with every final candidate who applies for a job with our hospital in order to make sure that we are hiring only those with the best, most positive attitudes.  It is refreshing when I meet with our team – when I walk into the room I can feel their energy, initiative, and excitement about the jobs they are performing which will ultimately result in processes that exceed our patients’ expectations.
 
5.  What is the hardest thing about your job?
As a hospital CEO, without a doubt the hardest part of the job is to hear from a patient or family member that their expectations were not met while in the hospital.  I take this very seriously and will do everything possible to make sure our employees and physicians have what is needed so that the patients of StoneSprings receive only the highest level of care when we open our hospital in December of this year.
 
6.  What are some of your hobbies?
I really enjoy spending time with my family, going on vacations, taking occasional weekend excursions to DC and Williamsburg, and watching my daughter ride her horse.  I also enjoy going fishing with my friends.
 
7.  What is your favorite thing to do in Loudoun on the weekends?
My family and I love living in Loudoun County!  Virginia has always been our favorite state in which to live, and we really enjoy walking around Middleburg and Leesburg on weekends, and visiting local churches on Sundays while we search for a new “church home”. 
 
8.  Tell us about your mornings—how do you get your day started? 
I like to wake up early and get the day started before dawn.  I enjoy walking outside in the early morning and listening to the birds and sounds that the new day brings.  I think about what meetings I have on my schedule, as well as which physician practices I can visit in order to meet as many members of the medical community as possible.  I really enjoy visiting with physicians and learning about their practice and the care that they deliver to the citizens of our community.
 
9.  What is your favorite app?
My favorite is the ESPN app, which helps me catch up on the latest scores and highlights from games I may have missed the previous day.