“The stronger our community is, the stronger our healthcare will be.” That's what drives Gary Shorb, president and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, Tenn.
Shorb, 63, one of four honorable mentions for Modern Healthcare's 2013 Community Leadership Award, is involved with a long list of organizations working to strengthen the city of Memphis through a multifaceted approach that Shorb said requires the engagement of all stakeholders.
“More and more, the focus of healthcare systems has to be on population health and the health status of the community, not just taking care of the sick,” Shorb said.
That approach includes acting as co-convener of Memphis Fast Forward—a strategic five-pronged agenda in public safety, education, government efficiency, quality of life and economic growth. The movement was born from Memphis Tomorrow, a group that includes Shorb and other CEOs from some of the largest organizations in the city. Both the umbrella organization and its affiliated programs have had a part in shaping solutions to the urban challenges the city has faced. Shorb has served on Memphis Tomorrow's executive committee for seven years, including two as chairman.
“Gary is very much viewed across the board as a dedicated and effective community leader, full of integrity and passion for seeing our great city progress,” said Blair Taylor, president of Memphis Tomorrow. “He exhibits the classic qualities of servant leadership—emphasizes listening to others, participative decisionmaking, empathy—and is clear and confident in his own values.”
One area Shorb clearly values is education. He chairs the PeopleFirst Partnership, Memphis Fast Forward's educational and workforce preparation component. Highlights of its five-year history include the acquisition of $7 million in federal workforce training grants, expansion of the pool of high-potential teacher candidates (from 21 in April 2010 to 1,800 the following year) and a 50% increase in the number of pre-kindergarten students in Memphis public schools. “It's been proven that if kids aren't ready for kindergarten, by the third grade they fall behind,” Shorb said. “And it's difficult to catch up.”
Another priority for Shorb is related to improving public safety. He has served as chair of the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission and has helped lead Operation: Safe Community, another Memphis Fast Forward initiative. The crime-reduction effort is credited with playing a role in a 22.8% drop in major violent crime and a 25.5% decline in major property crime.
Shorb said he is pleased with the progress in crime overall but admits that the city still has some work to do in achieving its goal of becoming one of the safest communities of its size in the nation. And he humbly takes little credit for his role in helping the community make strong progress toward that goal, saying he owes a lot of the success to the support of his board members and the teams he works with.
“It's a reflection of the organization as much as it is of me,” Shorb said.
Follow Rachel Landen on Twitter: @MHrlanden
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