News

Mark B. Thompson Joins Beebe as Director of Public Relations & Community Health

07/25/06

Beebe Medical Center is pleased to announce that Mark B. Thompson has taken over as Director of Public Relations and Community Health.

Thompson brings more than 18 years of healthcare industry experience in marketing, public relations, government relations and crisis communications. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the Delaware Regents Advisory Council for the ACHE, and the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development of the American Hospital Association.

Thompson also has taken an active role in Delaware's healthcare community. He is a member of the Delaware Healthcare Association, where he has worked on medical malpractice liability reform, and has been actively involved with the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, serving on the legislative policy and healthcare committees. Mark also was chairman of the state Chamber's Business Mentoring Task Force.

In February 2001, the City of Wilmington Mayor Jim Baker appointed him to the Wilmington (Del) Health Planning Council. From August 1999 to February 2001, he served on the city's Health Marketing Task Force Forum.


Thompson joins Beebe from St. Francis Health Services in Wilmington where he served as Director of Marketing and Community Relations. St. Francis is part of Catholic Health East, one of the larger, faith-based healthcare delivery systems in the nation. During his seven-year tenure, he took part in the launching and marketing of the new open heart surgery program that kicked off in 2002, as well as the marketing of the new emergency department. He also developed a new brand identity and graphic standards.

Previously, he served as the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for St. Joseph's Regional Healthcare Network in Reading, PA, which at the time was a member of the same Catholic healthcare delivery system as St. Francis.

Early in his career Mark served as Assistant Director of Community Relations at Georgetown University Medical Center. Mark earned his bachelor's of arts degree from Duke University and his master's degree in health services administration from The George Washington University.

As Beebe Medical Center prepares to launch the new open heart surgery program in affiliation with Christiana Care Health System, as well as to expand so many of its services including our Emergency Department, and to celebrate its 90th anniversary, we are pleased to have someone with Mark's experience and expertise on our team, said Wallace E. Hudson, Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Beebe Medical Center. We believe that he will be a true asset to Beebe as we continue to grow and meet the healthcare needs of the communities that we serve.

Locally, Mark already has taken over as chairman of the public relations committee for the American Heart Association's 17th Annual Heart Ball, to take place March 31, 2007, at the Bay Center in Dewey Beach.

Beebe Medical Center is a not-for-profit community medical center with a mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health with the people residing, working, or visiting in the communities we serve. For more information, please visit us online at .