Beaufort Memorial Hospital Announces New Board Appointments, Including New Chair and Board Member

Beaufort Memorial Hospital Reveals New Board and Chair

In a significant development, the Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s Board of Trustees recently appointed Tommy Harmon, Jr., as a new member of their governing body in a bid to expedite their future progress and enhance their healthcare services. Meanwhile, former Vice-chair William “Bill” Himmelsbach ascends to the position of Chairman, taking over from David House.

Background of New Members

A bona fide veteran of healthcare board operations, Tommy Harmon, Jr. served on the Southwestern Vermont Healthcare board for almost 15 years. Therein, he occupied the roles of finance committee chair before assuming the post of Board Chairman for five years. After being designated Trustee Emeritus in 2022, Tommy has since been active as the director of Broad River Healthcare and a member of the Beaufort Memorial’s finance committee.

Boasting a decorated educational background, Tommy holds a B.S. in Accounting from the prestigious University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He also has a distinguished career in vehicle transmission components, formerly owning CEO and Chairmanship of Sonnax Industries, a leading supplier globally. After around three decades in Vermont, Tommy retired in 2023 and settled in Spring Island alongside his wife.

Himmelsbach’s Success Story

Contrarily, Bill Himmelsbach boasts an extensive leadership legacy spanning 42 years in the healthcare domain. His experiences extend across not-for-profit and multi-hospital systems across the nation, including academic medical centers. Before his ascension to the Beaufort Board, he acted as the President and CEO of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation based in New York City, where he continues to hold a seat in their governing body.

Himmelsbach is also part of the Board of Directors of Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization and a member of the advisory board of Eastside Partners, a private equity fund based in Huntsville, Alabama. Home to a B.A. in Labor-Management Relations degree from Penn State University and a Masters in Public Health specializing in Health Care Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, Bill is also a life fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He shares his residence at Spring Island with his wife.

Welcome Dr. Douglas Folzenlogen

Another exceptional individual to join the fray is Dr. Douglas Folzenlogen, M.D., a board-certified internal medicine physician. Recently, in October 2023, Dr. Folzenlogen was elected as the Chief of Staff, succeeding Kurt Ellenberger, M.D., who held the role for four long years. As the new chief of staff, Dr. Folzenlogen will be the representative of the medical staff as an ex-officio board member.

With an experience of 18 years with the Adena Health System in Chillicothe, Ohio, Dr. Folzenlogen has represented physicians on the system’s board of directors and on their finance committee in the past. He also acted as the director of the hospitalist group. After joining Beaufort Memorial’s medical staff in 2016, Dr. Folzenlogen was named as the Provider of the Year at the hospital’s Bemmy Awards in 2022.

Rounding out the Board

The hospital’s Board of Trustees stands completed with Stephen Larson, M.D., being the Vice Chair, Vernita Dore functioning as Secretary, and Carolyn Banner, Ph.D., William Jessee, M.D., FACMPE, Eric Billig, M.D., Jane Kokinakis, DO, and Richardson LaBruce serving as board members. The Trustees are appointed by the Beaufort County Council, serving rotating terms.