Gregory Attends Last Hospital Authority Meeting

8/18/2009

After 457 meetings and 38 years, Ferman Gregory checks out from the Stephens County Hospital Authority.

Gregory, the current chairman of the authority, presided over his final meeting Monday night at the hospital. Gregory’s term expires prior to next month’s meeting and he has decided to step down.

After a meeting where his colleagues praised him and gave him a standing ovation, Gregory sat down with AM 630 WNEG News.

He said his 38 years on the Authority have been unbelievable.

“We have had sometimes that were difficult financially and we have been able to pull through all of those,” said Gregory. “We have got a good, strong hospital. We have got a good, strong medical staff. We are in a good location. We have good management and everything has turned out real well.”

The majority of the credit for the hospital’s success, he said, lies with its staff.

“I always felt like you need to be here because you want to be here,” said Gregory of staff. “If you have employees that do not want to be here, they need to be somewhere else. We have such dedicated employees and such well-trained people. In fact, in the medical field, I think it is probably the most highly-trained people that you are going to find.”

Gregory said one of the best decisions the authority made over the years regarding staff was hiring current Hospital Administrator Ed Gambrell.

Gambrell said Gregory is a unique and special individual.

“He has meant so much to the community and to Stephens County Hospital,” said Gambrell. “He is, as Elliot Caudell said in the meeting, someone who keeps things running smoothly. He is not a grandstander, but he was the glue to that board.”

Over his nearly four decades on the board, Gregory saw many changes and expansions.

He pointed to recent renovations, such as the patient room renovations and the pending pharmacy improvements, as very important.

Asked to single out specific achievements he is proud of, he listed two, the construction and recent success of the Clary and Wilkinson Centers, as well as the facilities and operating arrangements put in place for Stephens County EMS.

He said he was part of a team that included the many past Authority members he served with, as well as staff, and county officials, that got these things done and he thanked them all for their efforts.

In the end, Gregory said serving has been a great experience.

“It has gone by so fast,” he said. “It has been such a pleasant experience. I have enjoyed it all.”

As for the future, Gambrell said replacing Gregory will be a tough task.

“Even though, the Authority consists of seven people and the Authority and the Hospital will continue to function smoothly, it will be different without Ferman Gregory on the Authority.”

His post will be filled, however, at the Authority’s September meeting.