Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke and Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger announced the formation of the COVID-19 Joint Task Force to help coordinate the City and County’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
This Task Force will be led by Rae Young Bond, CEO at Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society, who will bring together medical and health professionals, leading physicians. This group will provide weekly important updates and offer recommendations that will inform, coordinate, and strengthen the City and County’s response efforts to COVID-19. In the midst of an unprecedented pandemic like this one, it’s never been more important that we listen to experts.
Please note that this task force is not a statutorily-created body and has only advisory -- not policy-making -- responsibilities; no members of the same legislative body will be permitted to attend at the same time to ensure that we remain in compliance with local and state open meeting regulations. Each meeting will be immediately followed by a media availability that will be conducted by Ms. Bond and members of the Mayor Berke’s senior staff. Notes from each meeting will also be shared publicly.
Contact:
For questions about the Task Force, please contact Katie Wells at kwells@chattanooga.gov
For press inquires, please contact Richel Albright at ralbright@chattanooga.gov.
Task Force Members
CEO, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society
Rae Young Bond is the Chief Executive Officer of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society, the Medical Foundation of Chattanooga, and Project Access, a community health partnership to coordinate charity care for low-income uninsured residents of Hamilton County. From 1997-2001, she was the founding president and executive director of First Things First, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening families. She was executive director of the Tennessee Municipal League in 2001-2002. Before moving to Chattanooga, she was director of public affairs for the National Governors’ Association in Washington, D.C., for ten years; editor of a national weekly newspaper published by the National Association of Counties; a congressional press secretary; and an award-winning journalist in her native Idaho. She is a graduate of Towson State University. Rae just completed a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Medical Society Executives and she is a member of the LifeBridge Physician Well-Being Task Force that has developed the LifeBridge Toolkit. She is a long-time member of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Health Council, which she chaired from 2017-2019, and she serves on the boards of the Tennessee Charitable Care Network, Tennessee Physician Quality Verification Organization, Volunteers in Medicine, and the Regional Science and Engineering Fair. She has presented at national conferences and has provided technical assistance to numerous communities as they developed Project Access Community Health Initiatives and Physician Wellness Initiatives.
Founder & Clinical Director, Clinica Medicos
Dr. Kelly Rodney Arnold founded Clinica Medicos in 2015 as the first bilingual, comprehensive medical home for the underserved and uninsured Latino population of Chattanooga. She currently leads as Medical Director. She has an active role as an Associate Professor of Family Medicine within the Department of Family Medicine/Erlanger. Her goal through this effort is to academically link Clinica Medicos, a community clinic, to the Family Medicine Residency and provide educational resources for physicians inclined to care for underserved, uninsured populations.
Physician, CHI Memorial Lung Care Associates
Administrator, Hamilton County Health Department
Becky Barnes is the Administrator at the Hamilton County Health Department. She is administratively responsible to the Hamilton County Mayor for the operation of the Health Department and its divisions which include five health centers: the downtown Chattanooga administrative offices and clinic, Ooltewah Clinic, Sequoyah Clinic, Birchwood Clinic, and the Homeless Health Care Clinic.
Mrs. Barnes received a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She joined the health department as a public health nurse in 1980. Mrs. Barnes was appointed to her current position as administrator by the County Mayor in 2000.
Mrs. Barnes is a member of several professional organizations. She is the past president of the Tennessee Public Health Association and the Southern Health Association and has held various leadership positions in the National Association of City & County Health Officials, American Public Health Association, and Women’s Leadership Institute.
HCS Task Force Coordinator
Jennifer Bronson serves as the leader for the Hamilton County Schools COVID-19 response and was a major contributor to the School Reopening Task work this summer. Bronson has been with Hamilton County Schools since July 2019, when she launched the Student Success Planning pilot in partnership with Harvard University’s Education Redesign Lab and the By All Means consortium.
Bronson has a public service background in education and law. She started her career in education, working as a first and fifth-grade teacher in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bronson was also a project facilitator working in talent and leadership development for Clark County Schools in Las Vegas, the nation's fifth-largest school district. Bronson served as an assistant public defender in the Missouri State Public Defender office and was admitted to the State Bars of Wisconsin and Missouri. In addition, she worked with the Wisconsin State Public Defender, Juvenile Unit, and was a judicial intern in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court.
Bronson received her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and a master's degree in education from the University of Las Vegas. She earned a juris doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she received the Wisconsin Idea Merit Scholarship, which is awarded to a student who seeks to improve the quality of life for citizens of the state.
Mrs. Barnes received a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She joined the health department as a public health nurse in 1980. Mrs. Barnes was appointed to her current position as administrator by the County Mayor in 2000.
Mrs. Barnes is a member of several professional organizations. She is the past president of the Tennessee Public Health Association and the Southern Health Association and has held various leadership positions in the National Association of City & County Health Officials, American Public Health Association, and Women’s Leadership Institute.
CEO & President, Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation
Matt currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation in Chattanooga, TN. Matt most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for the Erlanger Health System, where he focused on leading strategy, business development, mergers and acquisitions, and innovation. Matt’s diversity of experience over the last 15 plus years includes managing operations through the oversight and organization of business strategy development and the growth and profitability of product lines at investor-owned hospitals and a large multistate nonprofit health system. Matt served as a member of the 2019 Chattanooga class of the Young American Leaders Program (YALP) at the Harvard Business School. He also conducts guest faculty lectures at Auburn University, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, and The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Matt is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and holds a PhD from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He also holds a master of business administration and a master in health administration from The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Chief Medical Officer, Parkridge Health System
Timothy M. Grant, MD, MBA, CPE, is the chief medical officer (CMO) of Parkridge Health System. Dr. Grant is responsible for quality and patient safety, strategic vision, physician executive leadership and enhancing processes of care and operations. Prior to joining Parkridge, Dr. Grant served as CMO at Coliseum Health System, a multi-hospital system in Macon, Georgia, where he spearheaded initiatives that significantly improved patient safety and clinical quality. He previously served as Clinical Assistant Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology, at Mercer University School of Medicine. He also served as medical director of the Operating Room and medical director of Sedation Oversight at Navicent Health, in Macon, GA, where he also practiced as a Pediatric Anesthesiologist. Dr. Grant completed his internship and residency in anesthesiology at Duke University Medical Center, and completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Dr. Grant also received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts. He holds a Lean Greenbelt for Healthcare certification from the Institute of Industrial Engineers and is a Certified Physician Executive.
Assistant Dean of Nursing & Allied Health, Chattanooga State Community College
Dr. Harris is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee and currently serves as Assistant Dean of Nursing & Allied Health at Chattanooga State Community College. Prior to joining Chattanooga State Community College, Dr. Harris was a Tenured UC Foundation Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In addition to her administrative position at Chattanooga State Community College (ChSCC), Dr. Harris serves as Project Lead for the ChSCC Governor’s GIVE Grant. (Developing the Healthcare Workforce for Today). The GIVE Grant actively addresses the number of rural students enrolling in and completing postsecondary degrees or certificates in the healthcare field.
She graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In 1999 she received the Masters of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University; and in 2006, Dr. Harris received the Doctorate of Education from Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN.
Guerry Professor of Public Health, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Gregory W. Heath is Guerry Professor in the Public Health Program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga. Dr. Heath was formally a Lead Health Scientist with the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he spent over 20 years initially starting as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer. He is a graduate of Westmont College (Santa Barbara, CA) with a B.A. in psychology. As a graduate student his studies and research experience focused on physiology, nutrition, and epidemiology earning both his masters and doctoral degrees from Loma Linda University School of Public Health in California. A milestone in his training was as an NIH post-doctoral fellow at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, where he concentrated on applied physiology and public health. Dr. Heath has spent most of his career devoted to the epidemiology, prevention, and management of chronic diseases and their associated behavioral risk factors (e.g., physical inactivity, poor diet, obesity). He is widely published in the preventive medicine and public health literature. Dr. Heath is a fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association’s Council on Epidemiology and Prevention.
Greg is a native of Inglewood, California and has been married to Janice Kellogg for over 46 years. They have four grown children and ten grandchildren who represent a diversity of racial/ethnic backgrounds. Greg and Janice are members of New City Fellowship in Chattanooga, TN. Greg is a regular transport walker/cyclist, hiker, and has been an avid distance runner since he was 12 years old.
CEO, One to One Health
Dr. Keith Helton is one of few healthcare CEOs who has direct, personal responsibility for treating and managing the health of patients every day. For more than 20 years, he has been a practicing physician in internal medicine and pediatrics. As the CEO of One to One Health and many years of experience with Galen Medical Group, Dr. Helton recognizes the value of using patient population data and clinical performance data to measure and improve patient experiences, prevent disease and reduce the overall cost of care. In the Chattanooga area, One to One Health manages the healthcare clinics of EPB, Hamilton County Government, Hamilton County Department of Education, Catoosa County and Lodge Cast Iron.
Dr. Helton also served as Executive Vice President of Physician Services at Erlanger Health System, a leading academic medical center, and the 7th largest public health system in the nation. In this role, he was responsible for all aspects of physician employment, contracting, office management, networking and performance evaluation—a unique mix of skills and experiences that contribute to the growing success of One to One Health and its development of high-value, local physician networks.
President & CEO, Erlanger Health System
William L. Jackson Jr., MD, MBA, serves as President and Chief Executive Officer for Erlanger Health System. In his current role, the seasoned healthcare executive oversees one of the largest public health systems in the United States. In his previous role as Erlanger's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jackson was responsible for oversight of Quality, Safety, Erlanger Medical Group, Physician Services, Research, Medical Affairs, and inpatient and outpatient care delivery for the health system. He also focused on advancing a clinical agenda that supported Erlanger’s 975-member medical staff and outcomes critical to their success.
Before joining Erlanger in 2015, Dr. Jackson served as Chief Medical Officer for Alexandria Hospital and Associate System Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Effectiveness for Inova Health System. During his tenure at Inova, Dr. Jackson had several additional roles, including practicing as an intensivist at Inova Fairfax Hospital. He also led the Inova Telemedicine Institute as Medical Director, and served as the first System Director for Adult Critical Care.
Chief of Staff, Parkridge Health System
Currently practicing at Parkridge Medical Center, Dr. Magill has served Hospital Medicine in Chattanooga for almost 20 years. He received his Medical Degree from the University of Tennessee, Memphis College of Medicine and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Erlanger Hospital through the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Dr. Magill currently serves as the Chief of Staff for Parkridge Health System, Regional Medical Director for Envision Healthcare, a member of the Envision National Quality and Safety Committee and a board member for Volunteers in Medicine.
Vice President of Population Health & CEO, Erlanger Community Health Center
Angel Moore, Esq., serves as the VP of Population Health and oversees the Erlanger Community Health Centers. In this role, she oversees all aspects of Erlanger’s three Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) locations, the largest outpatient safety net in Hamilton County. They provide care through 12 service lines in an ambulatory multi-disciplinary comprehensive care setting. She has responsibility for a 12 million dollar and growing operation. She is a dynamic, results-oriented leader with a strong track record of performance in turnaround and high-paced organizations. She utilizes keen analysis and insights and team approach to drive organizational improvements and implementation of best practices. Under her leadership the program has experienced record financial performance and expansion, also produced positive data-driven outcomes.
President & CEO, Parkridge Health System
Tom joined Parkridge Health System as President & CEO in February of 2017, coming to Chattanooga from TriStar Southern Hills Medical Center in Nashville. A native of Chattanooga, Tom Ozburn brings 20 years of executive healthcare leadership to his new role. Prior to TriStar Southern Hills, he served as chief operating officer in TriStar Summit and TriStar Greenview medical centers, sister TriStar Health facilities in Hermitage, Tennessee, and Bowling Green, Kentucky, respectively, and worked in operations with HCA Physician Services Group.
Ozburn, a native of Chattanooga, earned a bachelor of science in Health Care Management from The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and a masters of Health Administration and a masters of Business Administration from The University of Memphis. He is currently enrolled at UAB in the Doctoral program in Health Services Administration. He is board certified in healthcare management by the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American College of Medical Practice Executives. In 2006, Ozburn achieved the status of Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives and served as a board member of the Middle Tennessee Chapter.
CEO, CHI Memorial Hospital
Janelle Reilly joined CHI Memorial in July 2016 as Chief Operating Officer with responsibilities for overseeing daily operations and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in September 2018. As a 26-year Catholic Healthcare executive, she is dedicated to serving the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. She is passionate about transforming health care to make it accessible and affordable for all; to deliver highly reliable services; and to instill joy and fulfillment in the sacred care we provide.
Prior to joining CHI Memorial, Janelle served in a variety of leadership roles within Presence Health, a Chicago-based health system, and Trinity Health in the West Michigan and later the Idaho/Oregon markets of this national health system.
Vice Chief of Staff, CHI Memorial Hospital
Sanford C. Sharp MD FABP is Chief of Pathology and Medical Director of Laboratories at CHI-Memorial Hospital. In addition, he is President of his pathology group, Diagnostic Pathology Services, and serves as Vice-Chief of Staff at CHI-Memorial. He is Chairman of both the Cancer Committee and Multidisciplinary Peer Review Committee. He received his BS and MD from Vanderbilt University.
Chief of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, UTCOM Chattanooga, Medical Director, Infection Prevention, Erlanger Health System and Chief Medical Officer, Cempa Community Care
Dr. Sizemore, a Chattanooga, TN native, received his BS in Psychology from Duke University in Durham, NC. From there, he earned his MD degree from the University of Tennessee. He then completed an internal medicine internship and residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. Subsequently, he finished an Infectious Diseases Fellowship and obtained a Masters of Science in Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He returned to Chattanooga in 2005. Currently, he is the Infectious Diseases Division Chief, Department of Medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga. He is the Medical Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention Programs at Erlanger Health System. He is Past Chief of the Medical Staff at Erlanger Health System. He also serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Cempa Community Care, the Ryan White funded clinic serving over 900 HIV infected individuals in Southeastern TN.
Chief Health Affairs Officer, UC Foundation Professor and Director, SON, University of TN at Chattanooga
Dr. Smith joined the School of Nursing faculty as Assistant Professor in 2001 being named the Kay K. Chitty Professor. In this position, she taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs and practiced as a Family Nurse Practitioner two days a week in community clinics serving vulnerable populations. She was appointed Coordinator of the Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration in 2005 and was promoted to UC Foundation Associate Professor in 2009. In 2012, she assumed the position of Interim Director of the School of Nursing and was named the permanent director in January 2014. In 2016 she was promoted to Professor. Her primary teaching responsibilities are in the graduate programs, primarily the FNP concentration. She maintains national certification and continues to engage in faculty practice at University Health Services at UTC where she precepts Family Nurse Practitioner Students.
Chief Executive Officer, Cempa Community Care
Shannon Stephenson, a native of Chattanooga, TN, is the Chief Executive Officer of Cempa Community Care. She received her BA from Tennessee Wesleyan University, in Athens, TN. From there, she earned her MBA and became a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Tennessee. Most recently she completed the Health Care Executive Program (HCEP) at the University of California, Los Angeles. Under her leadership, the agency expanded its operations and opened a sister site in partnership with East Tennessee State University's Center of Excellence. Further strategic initiatives include introducing the Rapid Antiretroviral Program Initiative for new Diagnosis and rapid syphilis testing; enhancing behavioral health and care coordination programs; launching a rural mobile clinic and harm reduction program; and expanding primary care access in minority and under-served communities. In 2019, Cempa Community Care was awarded Champions of Health Care for Community Outreach. Shannon currently serves as President of the Ryan White Clinics for 340B Access; Past-President of the Association of Governmental Accountants, Chattanooga Chapter; and serves on TSCPA’s Healthcare and Governmental Committees.
CEO, Kindred Hospital
Vice Chief of Staff, Erlanger Health System
Dr. Young has practiced anesthesiology in Chattanooga for 30 years and serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. He is a past president of the Tennessee Medical Association and serves as a delegate in the American Medical Association House of Delegates.