Video by Todd Weddle

He has “more degrees than a Texas thermometer,” and he’s the new president and CEO of Heartland Health.

This description was used Wednesday morning in introducing Dr. Mark Laney. Dr. Laney — who had been on vacation in Florida with his family but flew in for the announcement — is president of the Cook Children’s Physician Network. That’s a Fort Worth, Texas-based pediatric multi-specialty group with more than 250 physicians, who see more than 800,000 patient visits annually.

His first day as Heartland’s CEO will be Aug. 1.

Dr. Laney also has served as a pediatric physician, and it’s this combination of skill sets that makes him a good fit for Heartland, said Al Purcell, vice chairman of the Heartland board and chairman of the CEO search committee.

“Across the nation, the top-performing institutions are led by physician-trained executives,” Mr. Purcell added. “ ... With Mark’s unique skills, he can build upon what Heartland already has. His vision over time is to have this become a medical destination.”

Dr. Laney earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas in Denton, the city where he grew up and which is similar in size to St. Joseph. He went on to earn his doctor of medicine degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, then served as a resident in pediatrics at Arkansas Children’s Hospital before going to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., for a pediatric neurology fellowship.

Dr. Laney then went to the Cook Children’s Health Care System, where he served in clinical practice before moving into a leadership role when the system established the Cook Children’s Physician Network. He also pursued a master of science in medical management. In addition, he’s now the president-elect of the 19,000-member Mayo Clinic Alumni Association.

But despite this long list of credentials, some of the most important qualities Dr. Laney will bring to the CEO position aren’t anything that can be found on a resume, Mr. Purcell noted.

“He has compassion,” he said. “ ... He just has that very unique ability to connect to people.”

Starting out in his new position, this is exactly what Dr. Laney hopes to do.

“I’m going to listen and I’m going to listen and I’m going to listen,” he said. “ ... My job is to come in and listen and seek first to understand.”

He added that he had an opportunity for this Wednesday, when he met with current CEO Lowell Kruse for the first time. Even after his retirement, Mr. Kruse will have an office at the Heartland Foundation and will be available to Dr. Laney on an as-needed basis.

As for what drew him to Heartland, Dr. Laney noted he’d wanted to become a CEO eventually and felt he had the necessary experience. But he hadn’t been searching for a position when the search firm hired by Heartland contacted him about “a jewel of a position.”

“I saw it as a wonderful place with a tremendous amount of potential,” he said. “It just seemed that where Heartland is and wants to go, especially in improving clinical quality and safety and improving relationships with physicians, is a good match for my skills.

“I know it’s a good fit.”

Erin Wisdom can be reached at ewisdom@npgco.com.