Trustee Spotlight: Robert L. (Bob) Schmerbeck, III

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Robert L Bob Schmerbeck III
Schmerbeck

Hometown: Kerrville, Texas

Occupation: Retired Insurance Agent, but still serve as a consultant, advisor and mentor

Family: Incredibly patient wife of 46 years, Shirley, three accomplished children and seven extraordinary grandchildren

Hobbies/Interests: Collecting western art, volunteering with my Rotary Club and church

As a Board Member

Most rewarding: The seamless transition to a new CEO, who was following a legend who had led Peterson for two decades. Cory Edmondson is a charismatic leader with exceptional people skills. He is good for our organization.

Most challenging: Like all health care providers, the challenges and opportunities that arose due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our 1,000 plus team members were health care heroes in every sense of the word and lived out our mission of exceptional, compassionate, patient-centered care, every day for two years.

Biggest surprise: The unqualified success of our capital campaign to build a new ambulatory surgery center and retrofit our current ambulatory service center. Kerrville is an incredibly generous community.

Proudest moment for you/your board: There have been multiple events to celebrate. We continue to be recognized and awarded by various credentialing and certifying organizations. In 2022, we were certified as a Level IV trauma center and our CFO, Lisa Medovich was named one of the top 50 CFOs in rural health care in the United States. Our trophy case needs more shelves.

Valuable lesson: Health care is an industry like no other. As laymen, you must put aside your vocational experience and preconceived notions, they are useless in this setting.

Your Board’s priority areas for 2022? Commence construction on our new ambulatory surgery center, and work with other community leaders to address the growing affordable housing shortage for our staff.

Why become a Certified Healthcare Trustee? If you truly want to contribute to the mission and vision of the entity you are serving, you must gird yourself with as much education and information as possible. THT is an invaluable partner with us in that quest.

About Me

My childhood ambition: I’ve always been accused of being an overachiever! I have always been interested in contributing to society and being the best I can be at whatever I do.

My favorite person (living or not!): My hero was my great uncle who was killed in France during World War I at age 24. His brief but exemplary life, witness and sacrifice touched hundreds of people and his legacy lives on to this day.

Last place I traveled: Normandy, France.

What are you currently reading? I just finished reading “Greenlights” by Matthew McConaughey.

My favorite place in Texas: Kerrville, of course, it’s all right here.