Jimmy Lewis, CEO
Jimmy has roots in rural South Georgia where he was born in Cordele, Georgia. Having graduated high school in Cordele, he attended Middle Georgia College and then Auburn University. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering from Auburn. Upon college graduation he entered business with Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Albany Georgia. From that beginning, Jimmy has held senior management positions in six fortune five hundred companies including Firestone Tire and Rubber Company - passenger tires, Fairchild Burns - aircraft seats, Arthur Young and Co - consulting, R.J Reynolds - warehousing, Cross Equipment and Gold Kist - agribusiness, and HCA and HomeTown Health - health care.
He came to health care as a result of soaring insurance costs for his manufacturing company. After forming a partially self-funded insurance program for his company, his health care involvement led him to a position on the board of directors of a hospital. He ultimately sold Cross Equipment Company to become market development officer for that hospital. That opened the door to becoming Vice President of Government Relations for Columbia/HCA's 20 hospitals for the state of Georgia. Thereafter, he took his knowledge of the rural health care delivery system in Georgia, resigned Columbia HCA, and formed a consulting company, The Leadership Group. The Leadership Group sponsored development of the Georgia Rural Hospital Roundtable. The Roundtable had 22 rural hospitals as members. Its purpose was advocacy for rural hospitals in the state legislature in Georgia. Members were limited to hospitals that had fewer than 100 licensed beds.
With much success and tremendous publicity for the issues of Georgia's rural hospitals, one legislator pronounced that because of the Georgia Roundtable's effort "rural hospitals in Georgia now have a seat at the table". From there, Jimmy moved forward with a nucleus of those Roundtable hospitals and formed HomeTown Health, LLC of which he is CEO. HomeTown Health is a business development company advocating for and developing business opportunities for at least 55 member rural hospitals in Georgia. Activities range from managed care, to collective purchasing, statewide marketing, as well as legislative representation. HomeTown Health's efforts have been very instrumental in saving many of Georgia's rural hospitals.
Jimmy has been instrumental in passing key rural legislation and regulation for hospital based nursing homes, state merit, PPS and critical access hospitals. All of these have been key to the survival of rural hospitals and rural health care in Georgia.
Under his leadership, HomeTown Health has grown to now a Georgia based virtual company where business partners and hospital members have cumulatively over $800 million in annual sales from the 55 rural and small hospitals and 49 business partners. HomeTown Health has expanded services into education as well having developed HomeTown Health University which now boasts of over 2000 students mostly in the Business Office arena for rural hospitals and also the employment of GoToMeeting which is a conference call and white board capability media tool. HomeTown Health just completed over 1500 hours of training for rural hospitals in 50 geographic sites the recent conversion of Georgia's Medicaid to commercials payors.
Jimmy has been quoted many times by newspapers and magazines including the Wall Street Journal, Florida Times, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution as well as serving as a speaker to many governments and trade groups on the dilemma of rural hospitals and health care.
Jimmy has been involved in very many state and local economic development and leadership projects. He is a recipient of a number of professional awards and recognitions. He served as the 1993 Chairman of the Albany/Dougherty Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Leadership Georgia Class of 1992 and served three years as a host on the Georgia Red Carpet Tour, and worked ten years on the Southwest Georgia Fall Feather Hunt, the last two as Chairman. He received several business awards including 1992 Small Business Owner of the Year for Southwest Georgia by the Albany Chamber of Commerce and 1992 Exporter of the Year by the Atlanta Cobb Chamber. He has served on the Georgia Chamber Board of Directors among other activities.
Jimmy is married with two grown sons. He and his wife June live in Cumming, Georgia. He has many active hobbies varying from sea kayaking, mountain biking, fishing and hunting to attending musical concerts.
Kathy Whitmire, Managing Director
Kathy Whitmire is the Managing Director for HomeTown Health, LLC, a network of 55 rural hospitals and 50 supporting business partners. She directs the management services offered to rural Georgia hospital members such as the HIPAA/Technology SHIP Grant Consortium, HPG Group Purchasing Program, Business Office Performance Improvement, HomeTown Health Training and University, Business Partner program and Universal Service Fund Grant Program. Kathy saw the need for Business Office training as a key to the survival of rural hospitals soon after she began working for HomeTown Health in 2000 and has since led over 100 training boot camps, workshops, conferences, and online classes.
Brittany Hendley, Director of Finance & Administration
Brittany Hendley is the Director of Finance and Administration for HomeTown Health. She handles all areas of finance, logistics, budgeting and business for HomeTown including Accounts Receivables, keeping the website up to date, filing for the Universal Service Fund grant for members, and planning all events. She has been with HomeTown since August of 2004. She has a Bachelor's degree in Business and Information Technology Management and has worked as an associate agent for health and life insurance and an executive assistant in a hospital prior to coming on board with HomeTown. Brittany and her husband Jay live in Griffin, Georgia and have one daughter.
Donna Meeks, Director of Training
Donna Meeks has been with HomeTown Health since August 2005. She came on board to coordinate the efforts of moving the education efforts of HomeTown to a higher level. Donna is a business graduate of North Georgia Technical College with a specialist in Customer Service and Business Management. She has a history in the manufacturing business office as an Engineering Team Assistant and Buyer. Most recently Donna worked with the school system in Stephens County as Assistant to the Curriculum Directors, Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent and as Project Director for the Central Office.
Kristy Thomson, Director of Technical Services
Kristy Thomson is the Director of Technical Services for HomeTown Health. She is primarily responsible for HomeTown Health University, www.hthu.net. She also leads most technical projects for HomeTown Health.
After graduating from Stephens County High School in Toccoa, Georgia, Kristy received a B.S. from Clemson University and an M.S. from the University of Georgia. Before moving back home to North Georgia, she worked as the Project Coordinator for the Town of Jupiter, Jupiter, Florida where her technical skills were quickly realized. While at the Town of Jupiter, Kristy received many Microsoft certifications and worked very closely with the IT Department to gain efficiency throughout the Town by maximizing the advantages of computer technology.
Kristy has been working with HomeTown since the summer of 2006 and was asked to join the HomeTown Team in November of 2007. She currently lives in Clarkesville, Georgia with her husband, John Lee, and her son, Jack.