Health care has become an increasingly competitive business as valley communities expand facilities, diversify services and vie for patients.

Larry Coomes understands all of this.

Having worked for auto-making giant Porsche and lately as an executive in the ever-changing health care field, Coomes knows high performance and customer satisfaction are paramount.

That’s why he accepted the challenge of building the fortunes of Auburn Regional Medical Center as its newly appointed CEO and managing director.

“We have so many great plans for the hospital right now … improvements and expansion of our service lines here that I think will put us in a very good position from a competitive nature,” said Coomes, 42, who officially took the helm of the 162-bed community hospital on May 2. “There are many opportunities here for us to improve our engagement with the community, physicians and staff.”

Before coming to ARMC, Coomes spent eight years in various capacities with Tenet Healthcare, most recently as the COO for West Boca Medical Center, a 195-bed acute care hospital in Boca Raton, Fla.

Familiar with mid-size community hospital care and services, Coomes was looking for a change of scenery.

“This is a huge change culturally and geographically for our family,” said Coomes, who lives in Snoqualmie Ridge with his wife, Shannon, and 5-year-old son, Lawson. “It’s a great place to raise a family. We’re a very active family. … I find the people out here to be very friendly, very engaging.”

Coomes wants to improve the hospital’s culture, its feel and connection to the community as it expands.

Auburn Regional, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, has come far since its infancy. Auburn General Hospital was built in 1921, a few years after construction of the Northern Pacific rail yards. The building was located on the site of an apple orchard.

Changing with the times

The center since has grown considerably and incrementally over the years.

A $3.2 million improvement program began in 1975 to replace the 90 beds in a new, efficient and more economical building, which more than doubled the space and added 30 new beds for a total of 120.

It expanded again in the last 20 years, and today offers Level III trauma care, Level II neonatal care and certified programs in stroke and acute rehabilitation.

Given the swift changes of the modern health care era, Coomes concedes that Auburn Regional does not offer some services. Such a situation creates an “out-migration of our patients to seek care elsewhere,” Coomes pointed out. Under his watch, Coomes wants to fill those gaps to be a full-service provider to the community.

“And make it the facility of choice in the market,” he said.

As population grows, so too will be the demands of a full-service hospital. Auburn Regional is trying to keep pace. Just last year, it opened a new Medical Office Building that houses cancer and sleep centers and a number of other specialty services.

Coomes is adamant about providing quality care, so much in fact that he has put his face and phone number on posters displayed throughout the center. His message to patients and their family members?

“I encourage them that if they don’t believe they’re not receiving the care that they deserve at the hospital, please call my office, so we can address those concerns immediately and as efficiently as possible,” Coomes said.

Coomes’ managerial style is open, engaging and direct. He wants to be heard and seen. He wants to keep in touch with employees and immediately address their questions and concerns.

“It also gives them the feeling that you’re approachable, that they feel comfortable contacting you at any time,” Coomes said. “I’m a reliable leader. I will do what I say I am going to do. And if I can’t do it, I’ll let you know exactly why and try to come up with another solution that will allow us to get to the same result. We just have to make sure we do things the right way.

“I like to install a sense of accountability and responsibility in the staff and the physicians. I wouldn’t expect anything else from them that I wouldn’t of myself.”

Coomes also understands the difficult, economic realities of the industry.

“Health care is clearly changing rapidly, and there’s a lot of challenges facing the industry, particularly with the advent of Obamacare. We need to look at our business model and adjust it accordingly based on what we see going forward with the reimbursement.

“Clearly, the high employment is a challenge for what is going on in the market,” he continued. “But again, if things work out with the health care reform as they’re expecting, the decreasing level of the uninsured will help stabilize the health care business.”

Born and raised in Chicago, Coomes earned his bachelor of science degree from Eastern Illinois University and his MBA from Duke University.

He enjoys work, family and golf as a 9-handicapper.