Dr. Mark Laney comes to Heartland Health with experience in other places, including the famed Mayo Clinic and at well-regarded hospitals and clinics in Arkansas and Texas. His debut appearance this past week before the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce was much anticipated, and for good reason.

The community’s success is closely entwined with that of the hospital. Many detractors of Heartland miss that point: Whatever your concern, little is gained in tearing down an institution that is so central to health care, civic and charitable affairs, and the regional economy. Better to engage the Heartland leadership at every turn, encourage the kinds of behaviors you think are helpful and provide positive reinforcement when you see the results you are seeking.

In that spirit, even the most ardent opponents of Heartland would be advised to cut Dr. Laney some slack at the beginning of his tenure as president and chief executive officer. To this point he has demonstrated not only the skills necessary to lead an institution of the size and stature of Heartland, but also the instincts for how to make the transition from the long tenure of former CEO Lowell Kruse to what is needed now.

We listened closely Friday and came away with several key points from Dr. Laney’s remarks. In his view, Heartland in the years ahead must:

--Demonstrate commitment to excellence. This is not a new thought, but Dr. Laney said the hospital intends to benchmark its performance against the top 10 percent of comparable institutions nationwide. The News-Press will commit its resources to sorting through those comparisons and shining light on the results, good or bad.

--Recruit and retain quality physicians. Dr. Laney’s experience building a large and well-regarded physicians’ network in Texas is critical to Heartland’s success in the future. Heartland will thrive to the degree it provides outstanding and compassionate care; it must do even better at attracting talented staff at all levels, especially physicians, and providing the support they need.

--Be honest and transparent. Dr. Laney said Heartland is not perfect and likely never can be, but it should be committed to putting processes in place to ensure the highest quality of care is delivered as consistently as possible. Mr. Kruse championed the same view. A key will be what happens when mistakes do happen, whether in medical practice or leadership of the institution; critics will watch closely to see who takes ownership of the problem and what happens next.

--Practice “servant leadership.” This idea, first espoused in 1970 by management theorist Robert Greenleaf, puts the greatest value on serving others rather than on wielding power and influence. As Dr. Laney put it: “We will do this with humility … we will not be the 800-pound gorilla.”

Whatever your view of Heartland, these principles establish an excellent starting point for building the kind of support that is so vital to the institution and the community.