The new Chief Administrative Officer for Ascension St. Thomas in Sparta said he will push to continue expanding the facility’s offerings.
Brad Lowery said his commitment focuses on enhancing the organization’s reputation and the services they offer. Lowery said many local residents lack transportation options, making the best local health care critical.
“I know that at least in the community that I’m coming from, how hard it can be if I have to travel to other communities or other cities for my healthcare,” Lowery said. “Whatever that may be, whether that specialist or otherwise.”
Lowery said the corporate side has been nothing but supportive from top to bottom since he took over, allowing him to focus on the strategic growth and improvements. Lowery said the people he interacts with on a daily basis have been instrumental in helping him adjust.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have such a supportive group that’s here,” Lowery said. “It’s really helped to get acclimated with all the people who have the history of the hospital and know the community well. Starting to build those relationships has really been the most important thing for me.”
Lowery said in rural communities, the commitment to healthcare comes down to ownership.
“I think a lot of times you have people that are from these communities or from communities that are neighboring who understand the value, they take a different level of ownership there,” Lowery said. “Sometimes maybe the number of people that are physically here, that part can be challenging, but whenever you get people who are going into the field, in my experience has a different level of ownership.”
Lowery, who joined the Sparta facility after serving in Alabama, said he was drawn to rural healthcare because of the close-knit environment among employees. Lowery said the personal nature of rural healthcare allows for stronger connections between departments.
“Just by nature, having a smaller bench, it a lot easier to not only to interact with staff from multiple different departments,” Lowery said. “But to really be able to connect with them on a personal level.”
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