Photo by Graham Cullen Thomas Kleinhanzl, president and CEO of Frederick Memorial Healthcare System, stands in a new Emergency Department "Fast Track" area for patients who do not have an acute emergency. Purchase this photo

It's a goal for Thomas Kleinhanzl, FMH president and CEO, and the system's 26 locations and more than 2,600 employees, physicians and volunteers.

Ethics are paramount for the health care system, Kleinhanzl said, from the board of directors to employees and physicians.

"Every new employee has to sign on to a set of ethics, so do the physicians and board members. We look at any potential conflicts of interest, we maintain our integrity," he said.

The health care system also has to adhere to the requirements of local, state and federal regulatory agencies.

Kleinhanzl said at the end of the day, his goal is to ensure patients had not only the best clinical care, but, patients had the right information and are satisfied.

The system has faced tremendous growth in the past two or three years and is still growing, he said. Care is made to make sure each person who comes in receives the best treatment and care.

"More people are choosing us, they are staying local, instead on going somewhere else for medical treatment," he said. "They have confidence in the quality of our organization."

The system treats about 700,000 people a year, from direct care to laboratory services, home health nursing care and medical equipment services, Kleinhanzl said.

Originally from Canton, Ohio, Kleinhanzl has a science background and considered studying to be a physician.

"People drawn to health care have a need to give back to the community, to help others," he said.

Kleinhanzl chose to enter the business end of the medical field and worked at hospitals on the East Coast before coming to FMH in 2004.

"Ethics and integrity mean doing it right, knowing we did it right even when no one is looking, so to speak," he said.