Chamber of Commerce Honors Dr. Laskowski
Christiana Care President and CEO Robert J. Laskowski, M.D., MBA, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce at the annual Chamber awards luncheon on Thursday, May 8, at the White Clay Creek Country Club.
The Chamber recognized Dr. Laskowski as a leader in health care transformation for increasing community access to respectful, expert health care and for developing a culture at Christiana Care dedicated to patient- and family-centered care for the health system’s community and the region.
“Dr. Laskowski is a dynamic, visionary leader who has established Christiana Care as one of the nation’s largest, most innovative and effective health care providers,” said Mark Kleinschmidt, president of the New Castle County Chamber. “In doing so, he not only created thousands of jobs, but he also helped to attract and retain countless employers by transforming Christiana Care into a beacon for our community and the health of all Delawareans.”
Dr. Laskowski announced earlier this year that he is retiring in December after serving from 2003 to 2014 as president and CEO of Christiana Care.
In his leadership, Dr. Laskowski remained highly focused on Christiana Care’s mission of service as a not-for-profit health system. In 2013 alone, Christiana Care provided the community with $27.3 million in charity care. He also led the transformation of Christiana Care’s organizational culture through the adoption of The Christiana Care Way: “We serve our neighbors as respectful, expert, caring partners in their health. We do this by creating innovative, effective, affordable systems of care that our neighbors value.”
During Dr. Laskowski’s tenure, Christiana Care has earned national recognition for excellence from Truven Health Analytics and as a Magnet-designated health system by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. He established the Christiana Care Value Institute to contribute to national research on health and health care with the goals of identifying and implementing strategies to achieve better health at lower cost. Dr. Laskowski advanced primary and specialty care with the opening of Christiana Care’s Concord Health Center, the expansion of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, establishment of the nationally recognized Center for Heart & Vascular Health, and the Transforming Wilmington project, which expanded Wilmington Hospital to increase access to health care in the heart of Delaware’s largest city.
Dr. Laskowski is the 2012-2014 chair-elect of the Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems of the Association of American Medical Colleges and becomes chair for 2014-2016.
In addition to his health care leadership, Dr. Laskowski’s exemplary community service has benefited Delaware and the surrounding region. Dr. Laskowski is past chair of the board of directors of the United Way of Delaware and past chair of the Delaware Healthcare Association board of directors. He is a member of the First State Innovation board and the University of Delaware Lerner College of Business and Economics college advisory board and serves on the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Economic Advisory Council.
“We were very fortunate when Dr. Laskowski came to Delaware to lead our largest health care system,” Kleinschmidt said. “This award represents our appreciation for everything he has done for our community.”