He came as a guest and ended up as the guest speaker. Why not- he teaches a college class on public speaking, no wonder he aced his presentation today and lit up the room. President Barry invited Martin Richman, the new vice president of philanthropy at the Milford Regional Medical Center, to be his guest today. In a quick twist of events, Barry then asked Martin to switch his planned visit to scope out Rotary to the role of keynote speaker. In true Rotarian tradition, Martin, that new energized smiling foundation leader at the Milford Medical Center, jumped at the opportunity. It would be tough to make a case that this guy is an "introvert". In an article in the Medical Center's September Focus Newsletter introducing Richman, there is a quote where Martin says "With its expanded services and new partnerships, Milford Regional is a force to be reckoned with, and that's the kind of institution I want to be part of-one whose mission is so strong and energies so focused that the case for philanthropic support stands above the rest". One thing is clear- he believes in what he says and hits the floor running and smiling. Martin noted that the theme at the hospital is one of " growth" with a commitment to providing quality health care to the growing population in the 20 towns in Medical Centers service area.
The hospital employs over 1800 employees and operates on a budget in excess of 200 million annually. Over 50,000 patients visit the emergency room each year and 1000 babies were born at the hospital last year. (More than likely they ahev already been discovered and are already getting an email from one or more of our November Presidential candidates). Martin also spoke about the success of the new Cancer Center and how the Center is providing quality care without the need for patients to travel to Boston.,an event that by itself can "traumatize" a person well beyond any acceptable stress level. He noted that space occupancy at the Cancer Center is already beyond expectations and new physicians have been added to accommodate the added growth. He also pointed out that the Cancer Center operates on a 99% paperless program with immediate access to medical records. Richman said a lot more, but that's all that I wrote down. There is no doubt that management at the hospital got the right man for the right task. It's clear that the new VP is VERY PUMPED and ready to take the Medical Center's Philanthropy efforts to a new level. Welcome to Milford and welcome to the Milford Rotary Club- Your smile fits right in. Next time you visit the Milford Rotary Club, it seems like the fine master should make an exception to policy and hit you with a "Happy Fine", just for the fun of it.