Rural Healthcare Developers Founder Ray Shoemaker is recognized for his "turnaround" style of management
Three months before Ray Shoemaker, president and CEO of Rural Healthcare Developers, signed a management contract with Humphreys County Memorial Hospital, the hospital was $4.5 million in debt and had not turned a profit in the last four years. After six months the hospital was making money, and the debt was reduced by thirty-three percent.
When Shoemaker arrived in January 2007, the small hospital in the heart of the Mississippi Delta lacked the confidence of the community, the exterior and interior of the building suffered from neglect and much of the equipment was outdated.
Those were just a few of the overwhelming obstacles the 34-bed acute care hospital faced. Shoemaker took the helm of HCMH with a new vision for rural healthcare in a small Delta town.
He immediately began cleaning and remodeling the building. Even greater renovations were taking place in the operation of the hospital. Shoemaker solidified existing services and added new services to enhance the hospital’s place in the community.
Equally important to the survival of HCMH, his financial management added significantly to the bottom line of the hospital. He is still adding services, new equipment and technology. The staff of physicians admitting to the hospital has risen to 11. New staff totals about 60 since January.
But Humphreys County Memorial Hospital is not Shoemaker’s first success story. His fearless attitude and innovative approach to healthcare have earned him the nickname of “Turnaround King” by the Memphis Business Journal. His successes have also been acclaimed on the national level.
Modern Healthcare magazine selected Shoemaker as a 2006 recipient of the “Up and Comers” award, which showcases talented young leaders in healthcare under the age of 40.
The award came as a result of his success in turning around a struggling regional medical center in North Mississippi. After a successful stint as the director of Behavioral Health for Perspectives/Horizons Mental Health Management, Shoemaker was enlisted at Tri-Lakes Medical Center in Batesville, MS to start a behavioral health program.
He set up and opened a geri-psych unit in one month. The program soon grew to 22 beds. That was the beginning of the Behavioral Health Center, which over the next two years added Adult Chemical Dependency, Adolescent Chemical Dependency and a General Psychiatric Unit.
Shoemaker’s astounding success led to his being tapped as Chief Operating Office and finally Chief Executive Office of the medical center. Under his watch revenue almost tripled from $23 million to $64 million.
In January 2007, Shoemaker charted a new course by starting Rural Healthcare Developers. Growing up in Walnut Grove, MS, Shoemaker has long recognized the need for quality healthcare in rural areas, as well as in cities. The mission of Rural Healthcare Developers is to bring modern healthcare to rural
communities.
Shoemaker credits his success, in part, to his military career. Rising to Captain in the United States Army, he learned the value of leadership. He is currently authoring a book on leadership and has implemented a healthcare leadership program, which he offers to hospitals. The course focuses developing leaders within facilities, hospital employment management and strategic planning.