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Drupal\hg_features\Controller\APIController->export() (Line: 249) Drupal\hg_features\Controller\ContentAPIController->export() (Line: 461) Drupal\hg_features\Controller\NodeAPIController->export() (Line: 916) Drupal\hg_features\Controller\NodeAPIController->list() (Line: 455) Drupal\hg_mercury_card\Plugin\Block\ContentFeedBlock->__construct() (Line: 723) Drupal\hg_mercury_card\Plugin\Block\ContentFeedBlock::create() (Line: 21) Drupal\Core\Plugin\Factory\ContainerFactory->createInstance() (Line: 76) Drupal\Component\Plugin\PluginManagerBase->createInstance() (Line: 62) Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultSingleLazyPluginCollection->initializePlugin() (Line: 57) Drupal\block\BlockPluginCollection->initializePlugin() (Line: 80) Drupal\Component\Plugin\LazyPluginCollection->get() (Line: 45) Drupal\block\BlockPluginCollection->get() (Line: 88) Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultSingleLazyPluginCollection->setConfiguration() (Line: 104) Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultSingleLazyPluginCollection->addInstanceId() (Line: 55) Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultSingleLazyPluginCollection->__construct() (Line: 34) Drupal\block\BlockPluginCollection->__construct() (Line: 158) Drupal\block\Entity\Block->getPluginCollection() (Line: 147) Drupal\block\Entity\Block->getPlugin() (Line: 118) Drupal\block\BlockAccessControlHandler->checkAccess() (Line: 109) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityAccessControlHandler->access() (Line: 329) Drupal\Core\Entity\EntityBase->access() (Line: 63) Drupal\block\BlockRepository->getVisibleBlocksPerRegion() (Line: 138) Drupal\block\Plugin\DisplayVariant\BlockPageVariant->build() (Line: 270) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->prepare() (Line: 128) Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse() (Line: 90) Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray() call_user_func() (Line: 111) Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch() (Line: 186) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw() (Line: 76) Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle() (Line: 53) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle() (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle() (Line: 28) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ContentLength->handle() (Line: 201) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch() (Line: 138) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup() (Line: 87) Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle() (Line: 48) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle() (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle() (Line: 36) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\AjaxPageState->handle() (Line: 51) Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\StackedHttpKernel->handle() (Line: 741) Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle() (Line: 19)
Warning: unserialize(): Error at offset 0 of 183 bytes in Drupal\hg_features\Controller\APIController->export() (line 527 of modules/custom/hg_features/src/Controller/APIController.php).
Drupal\hg_features\Controller\APIController->export() (Line: 249)
Drupal\hg_features\Controller\ContentAPIController->export() (Line: 461)
Drupal\hg_features\Controller\NodeAPIController->export() (Line: 916)
Drupal\hg_features\Controller\NodeAPIController->list() (Line: 455)
Drupal\hg_mercury_card\Plugin\Block\ContentFeedBlock->__construct() (Line: 723)
Drupal\hg_mercury_card\Plugin\Block\ContentFeedBlock::create() (Line: 21)
Drupal\Core\Plugin\Factory\ContainerFactory->createInstance() (Line: 76)
Drupal\Component\Plugin\PluginManagerBase->createInstance() (Line: 62)
Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultSingleLazyPluginCollection->initializePlugin() (Line: 57)
Drupal\block\BlockPluginCollection->initializePlugin() (Line: 80)
Drupal\Component\Plugin\LazyPluginCollection->get() (Line: 45)
Drupal\block\BlockPluginCollection->get() (Line: 88)
Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultSingleLazyPluginCollection->setConfiguration() (Line: 104)
Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultSingleLazyPluginCollection->addInstanceId() (Line: 55)
Drupal\Core\Plugin\DefaultSingleLazyPluginCollection->__construct() (Line: 34)
Drupal\block\BlockPluginCollection->__construct() (Line: 158)
Drupal\block\Entity\Block->getPluginCollection() (Line: 147)
Drupal\block\Entity\Block->getPlugin() (Line: 96)
Drupal\block\BlockViewBuilder::buildPreRenderableBlock() (Line: 158)
Drupal\block\BlockViewBuilder::lazyBuilder()
call_user_func_array() (Line: 113)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doTrustedCallback() (Line: 875)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doCallback() (Line: 411)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender() (Line: 504)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender() (Line: 248)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render() (Line: 484)
Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter() (Line: 106)
__TwigTemplate_1fede806ebd0f3a29054ac0be9823fdd->doDisplay() (Line: 402)
Twig\Template->yield() (Line: 358)
Twig\Template->display() (Line: 373)
Twig\Template->render() (Line: 51)
Twig\TemplateWrapper->render() (Line: 33)
twig_render_template() (Line: 348)
Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render() (Line: 491)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender() (Line: 248)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render() (Line: 484)
Drupal\Core\Template\TwigExtension->escapeFilter() (Line: 83)
__TwigTemplate_bb455e4c8879a3db6c476dcfc89aeb01->doDisplay() (Line: 402)
Twig\Template->yield() (Line: 358)
Twig\Template->display() (Line: 373)
Twig\Template->render() (Line: 51)
Twig\TemplateWrapper->render() (Line: 33)
twig_render_template() (Line: 348)
Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeManager->render() (Line: 491)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->doRender() (Line: 248)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->render() (Line: 158)
Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\{closure}() (Line: 638)
Drupal\Core\Render\Renderer->executeInRenderContext() (Line: 153)
Drupal\Core\Render\MainContent\HtmlRenderer->renderResponse() (Line: 90)
Drupal\Core\EventSubscriber\MainContentViewSubscriber->onViewRenderArray()
call_user_func() (Line: 111)
Drupal\Component\EventDispatcher\ContainerAwareEventDispatcher->dispatch() (Line: 186)
Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handleRaw() (Line: 76)
Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel->handle() (Line: 53)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\Session->handle() (Line: 48)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\KernelPreHandle->handle() (Line: 28)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ContentLength->handle() (Line: 201)
Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->fetch() (Line: 138)
Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->lookup() (Line: 87)
Drupal\page_cache\StackMiddleware\PageCache->handle() (Line: 48)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\ReverseProxyMiddleware->handle() (Line: 51)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\NegotiationMiddleware->handle() (Line: 36)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\AjaxPageState->handle() (Line: 51)
Drupal\Core\StackMiddleware\StackedHttpKernel->handle() (Line: 741)
Drupal\Core\DrupalKernel->handle() (Line: 19)
Looking Back with Dr. Chessare
June 18, 2025
In his 15 years at the helm, John B. Chessare, MD, MPH, has steered GBMC through a global pandemic and a malicious cyberattack. But these were not the greatest challenges he and GBMC leadership faced together. We sat down with Dr. Chessare and invited him to look back at his time here and the legacy he has created. These are edited excerpts from our conversation.
Dr. Chessare started our conversation by reflecting on the creation of GBMC's vision phrase.
John Chessare, MD, MPH: In 2010, we created our vision phrase, ‘To every patient, every time, we will provide the care we would want for our own loved ones.’ For 15 years, I’ve been taking new employees through a reflection on what that care would be like if it really was your loved one.
I wanted to personalize it a bit so I made the question, ‘What if it was your daughter?’ and to this day, I show a photo of my own daughter, Caroline, and then I invite a new employee who has a daughter to reflect with me for the whole group. And I tell the whole group, ‘If you don’t have a daughter, it’s okay. Reflect on somebody you love.’ Because in order to make this come alive, everybody really has to try to personalize it. I say at orientation, ‘No matter what your role is, do this. Do what you would want done for your own loved one and we’ll be fine.’
The vision phrase was created at a Board Retreat in 2010, right? Was it already your guiding principle?
JC: The broad notion that we are in not-for-profit healthcare, and we are here to serve – that broad notion is my guide. And it irks me to this day when I see people in not-for-profit healthcare that are really acting about ‘what is the best financial short-term move’ as opposed to ‘what is best for the people in the community.’
The phrase was actually created by (former GBMC Chief of Staff) Dr. Melissa Sparrow, one of our physicians who was at the retreat. She said, ‘You know, we ought to be trying to provide care that we would want for our own loved ones.’ And I’m very proud of the fact that we have stayed focused on that for 15 years.
What is your favorite part of your day?
JC: I really enjoy watching people improve things. And I think as an organization we are not perfect, but many, many more people in our organization than in the average organization understand how to improve something and I really enjoy watching that. I’ve been part of setting that agenda and it’s fun to see people improving things for our patients.
What have been the toughest moments?
JC: My toughest moments are when the finances don’t add up. Because I know in my very being what we should do for better health, better care, for lower cost with more joy for those providing the care, but it frequently doesn’t align with the financial incentives. People expect me to say, ‘oh, it was the pandemic,’ or ‘oh, it was the malignant cyberattack,’ but we have such a great team we got through both of those episodes pretty well.
Is there anything that surprised you?
JC: There were two huge things that really surprised me shortly after I got here. The first one was the incredible community support GBMC has. It shouldn’t have surprised me if I had reflected on the history—GBMC was literally formed by people who wanted better healthcare for their friends and neighbors. And that is still palpable today.
The other thing that surprised me was that I was in the Boston metropolitan area running one of the community hospitals, I thought we were a pretty good place. I thought our medical staff was pretty good. I came down here and I was stunned at how good the medical staff was at GBMC for a community hospital. That is what makes GBMC head and shoulders above the other community hospitals. I don’t want to minimize the importance of the rest of the clinical team, but the medical staff was and remains very strong.
Is there anything GBMC achieved that you are especially proud of?
JC: The achievement of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was huge. I think one thing I will take a little credit for is that GBMC is known in the region prior to my arrival for phenomenal clinical abilities but didn’t really have any profile outside of the region. Today, if you go to people outside of the mid-Atlantic who understand quality improvement in healthcare and say ‘GBMC,’ they will nod. And if you had done that in 2010, they wouldn’t have known what you were talking about.
The best evidence that we’ve made progress is our accountability for people with diabetes who access care in our patient-centered medical homes. Only about 13% of our patients have Hemoglobin A1Cs out of range where the national average is 30%. And we didn’t get there by wishing or hoping. We got there because we designed a system to do that. It’s what you would want done if it was your own daughter or son.
Which brings us back to your own family. You always speak of your wife, (Dr.) Tracey (Chessare), and (four adult) children with pride. How did you and your wife meet?
JC: Tracey was a nurse at the University of Massachusetts, working evenings in the Emergency Department because during the day she was a special student at Holy Cross, picking up her pre-med credits. I was the Senior Resident on for the night and the intern for the Emergency Department called me down because he was concerned about this baby that was spitting up. Tracey was the nurse, and, at one point, I asked her if she could get us some formula, and she said to me, “Go get your own formula.” It was love at first sight.
We got married and Tracey joined me in Toledo, where I was Vice Chief of Staff, the Chief in the Division of General Pediatrics at the Medical College of Ohio. My wonderful wife, Tracey, who had had our two babies in medical school, graduated on time, was in Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society in her third year and won the medicine award at graduation. She commuted from Toledo to Detroit every day for three years to complete her residency in Dermatology. When she was done, we had four little kids.
Any advice for GBMC’s new leader?
JC: Celebrate the wonderful people who are around you.
In his tenure at GBMC, Dr. Chessare has embraced individuals who have invested their careers, volunteer time, and personal treasure in a shared vision of what a community healthcare system can be. Everyone at GBMC is grateful to Dr. John Chessare for his dedication to the community we serve and for the foundation he has built for a strong future.
