CRHL Alumni Spotlight - Dolan Dalpoas

CRHL Alumni Spotlight - Dolan Dalpoas

Dolan Dalpoas is the CEO of Lincoln Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Lincoln, Illinois. A native of Lincoln, Dolan has spent his entire rural health career in the Memorial Health system, with many of the years spent at Lincoln Memorial Hospital. The phrase born and raised is particularly fitting, as Dolan was actually born in Lincoln Memorial Hospital.

Dolan began his healthcare career as a physical therapist at Lincoln Memorial Hospital and later became the manager of the physical therapy department. At that point, Dolan felt that he achieved his career goals, as he was able to continue providing direct patient care while also hiring, training, and mentoring other physical therapists. Both roles were incredibly fulfilling, but Dolan soon realized that through effective management and leadership, he could make a broader impact and drive improvements on a larger scale. It was then that he committed himself to that cause. In 2006, Dolan was promoted to CEO.

Dolan emphasized that a primary focus of his role is ensuring that the hospital fosters the right culture to attract new talent, as he believes “having enough talent is how the hospital achieves its mission.”  Whether it’s collaborating with innovative partners on recruitment efforts or personally meeting with every new employee within their first 90 days, Dolan is dedicated to creating a culture that supports individual success. When asked about lessons learned or success stories, Dolan shared a notable example of Memorial Health’s impact beyond its hospitals. In 2019, the Lincoln Memorial community health team, with funding support from the Lincoln Memorial Foundation, helped transform the cafeterias at five Lincoln schools into locally sourced, scratch kitchens. This initiative continues to positively impact the health and wellness of adolescents in Logan County.

Dolan joined the inaugural cohort of NRHA’s CEO Certification Program with 14 years of experience. Despite his experience, he acknowledged that “you only know what you know and see what you see,” making the program an excellent opportunity to learn from other rural hospital CEOs and their experiences. While Dolan found the entire program valuable, he particularly highlighted the lean management module from the operational building block and the quality module from the clinical building block. He highly recommends this program to other CEOs, especially those earlier in their careers.

Some leadership advice from Dolan: “Love what you do” and “Surround yourself with individuals who are smarter than you, as dedicated as you, you trust completely, and are in it for the right reasons.” Dolan expressed his gratitude for the many mentors and supporters who have helped him get to where he is today. He encourages others to build strong teams that can work together to overcome challenges and outwork problems.