Owensboro Health outlines expansion, workforce gains and new ‘age‑friendly’ work ahead

Owensboro Health leaders presented a state‑of‑the‑system update to the Owensboro City Commission on Feb. 18, reporting recruitment gains, an expanded regional footprint and new programs aimed at older patients.

The presentation focused on scale, access and workforce. Gavin Roberts, chair of the Owensboro Health Board of Directors, said the system’s mission is to “exist to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities that we serve.” Mark Marsh, president and chief executive officer of Owensboro Health, described growth in physicians, clinics and community programs across a 17‑county service area.

Why it matters: Owensboro Health is the area’s largest employer and a driver of local health access and economic activity. Commissioners asked about workforce stability, the system’s financial pressures and how hospital programs will reach surrounding counties.

Marsh gave specific metrics and initiatives. Owensboro Health reported about 5,800 full‑time employees across the region, a service area of roughly 600,000 people and 63 physicians recruited over the last two years. Marsh said the system’s retention for newly recruited physicians is approximately 88 percent and that the system’s salaries, wages and benefits exceeded $500 million in the past year.

Leaders said recruitment has produced more local access to specialty care: neurosurgery, cardiology, oncology and others now provide services closer to rural counties such as Muhlenberg and Grayson. Marsh noted a rise of about 30,000 additional primary‑care visits over two years and said the system aims to keep new specialists doing outreach to satellite clinics.

Marsh described an innovation and workforce effort called HealthForce Kentucky: an innovation center under construction that he said will be about 38,000 square feet with 11 simulation labs and mobile medical units that have already reached high‑school and junior‑high students. He said the program recently drew a larger state workforce grant (Marsh cited a $38,000,000 grant in the presentation) and that the center is intended to boost training pipelines for local nurses, technologists and clinicians.

The hospital elaborated on quality and technology investments: a new ION robotic device for thoracic procedures, an additional linear accelerator at the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center and a DaVinci surgical robot shared with Muhlenberg County. Marsh described the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center as delivering “compassionate” care and said the radiation program now includes up‑to‑date equipment.

Marsh also described an operational challenge: a regional supplier disruption after flooding disrupted a major supplier’s facility, causing multi‑month shortages of some IV fluids and delaying scheduled cases. Marsh said supply levels had largely normalized in the two weeks before the meeting but that the episode required rescheduling and extra coordination.

On aging and care models, Marsh described an “age‑friendly” program aligned with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). He said Owensboro Health volunteered for an age‑friendly certification process that was initially selective; Marsh said the system is one of a relatively small number accepted and that CMS will require age‑friendly processes of Medicare‑participating systems in the future. The initiative focuses on tailored workflows and the “4Ms” used for older patients.

Commissioners asked about staffing. Commissioner Bob Glenn asked specifically about travel nurses and nursing shortages; Marsh said the use of travel nurses is “definitely decreasing” and that the system’s trend is moving in the right direction, noting increased enrollment in local nursing programs and recent hires. Marsh and other hospital leaders described partnerships with local schools and colleges to raise workforce pipelines.

Public‑facing programs and community partnerships were also highlighted. Marsh said the hospital and foundation distributed $280,000 to local nonprofits focused on social determinants of health in 2024 and described partnerships with River Valley Behavioral Health, Habitat for Humanity and Veterans’ organizations. He urged continued collaboration among health systems, schools and local government on workforce and prevention.

The presentation closed with Marsh stressing community partnership: “This is our hospital. This ain't us,” he said, arguing the system’s role is to serve neighborhoods and neighboring counties and to coordinate with schools and other local partners.

The commission did not take formal action on the presentation; the report served as an informational briefing.