Winsted Health Center Welcomes New Executive Director

WINSTED — Carey Plummer needs to find a home, fast.

Having been offered — and having quickly accepted — the position of executive director of the Winsted Health Center just last Thursday, Plummer has barely two weeks before he assumes his new role Jan. 3. And much of that will be filled with holiday festivities, not to mention a great deal of driving.

Plummer is coming to Winsted from Napoleon, Ohio, where he served for 23 years as chief executive officer of the Henry County Hospital. Having graduated from Defiance College in northwestern Ohio with dual degrees in business administration and accounting, Plummer took a position as the chief financial officer of a hospital straight out of college and also has experience as CEO of a behavioral health facility.

He’s also a man who has worn many hats: Plummer managed his family farm for 24 years and has served as president of his Rotary Club, the Optimist Club, The United Way and several Chambers of Commerce.

He was just visiting Winsted this week, meeting with the Board of Trustees and being filled in on his new job responsibilities. Thursday afternoon he returned home to spend one last holiday in Ohio before once again making the 700-mile, 11-hour drive back to Northwestern Connecticut — this time accompanied by his wife, Brenda.

He said that, though it’s topographically a world apart, in many ways Winsted isn’t so different from Napoleon, Ohio.

"When I get up and look out over my back porch, I can see for 5 miles," Plummer said of his home on the plains of Ohio. "It’s all flat. Otherwise, it’s a similar kind of town — the kind of community where people care about people."

But finding a home in or around Winsted is only the first of many challenges to come for Plummer, who will assume responsibility for the health center and its various renovations and expansions currently underway.

"I’m looking forward to the challenges," he said. "I think it’ll be a fun time, to be part of the development of the facility and making health care available to the community."

Among the projects scheduled for the early part of 2007 are a complete overhaul of the second floor of the Health Center; the replacement of two elevators, scheduled for early in January; installing a new sprinkler system and HVAC for the building; and numerous other tasks. In addition, Plummer said grant applications have just been submitted to bring in dental care and several other departments are looking to expand, including the Helping Hands chore service for the elderly and a sleep apnia clinic. Space is currently being cleared adjacent to the building for a planned senior housing development, located next to the Health Center for ease of access.

Plummer said he is looking forward to tackling these challenges, and said one of his missions is to work to make health care more affordable for the uninsured. He realizes that the various programs the center hopes to get underway this year are going to be expensive, and said a lot is hinging on informing the public about what the center has to offer.

"I think the biggest challenge is for this foundation to continue to grow," he said. To do that, "We need to make the outlying communities more aware of what the center does. The Winsted Health Center does not provide health care; it owns the facilities in which health care is provided by other providers."

Among the services offered are an emergency department, complete ambulatory services, including x-ray, ultrasound and mammography, holistic medicine and numerous others.

But amidst all these loose ends, there is one thing he seems confident in: the competence of his staff to get the job done.

"I was amazed at the credentials of the doctors here," he said.

Outgoing Executive Director Dick Benfer expressed similar sentiments about his successor.

"I am confident that Mr. Plummer has the experience, skills, energy and personality to take the Winsted Health Center to the next level," Benfer said. "He will assume responsibility for the renovation program, the expansion of health services, and all aspects of the management of the Health Center."

For his part, Benfer is looking forward to a relaxing retirement.

"I feel good, I’m healthy. I can go play golf again," he said, grinning. "I like to hit the ball around; I’m not a good player."

Hopefully he’ll be able to use his extra free time to work on his game; he’ll certainly look at it in a different light, now that he’s retired.

"The good thing about golf is it’s too frustrating a game to be thinking about things like work," he said.