For nearly six decades, Memorial Hospital and the Memorial Health Care System have served the citizens of the Chattanooga area. When Jim Hobson accepted the position as the organization’s president and chief executive officer last fall, he knew he was becoming a part of something special. The core values of reverence, integrity, compassion and excellence were readily apparent in the people, processes and practices at Memorial.
Recognized on numerous occasions as one of the top 100 hospitals in America and known for outstanding care in cardiology, oncology and orthopedics, Memorial serves thousands of patients and their families annually and provides faith-based care of the highest quality. “I think the most important part of describing an organization - and what we have here at Memorial - starts with the hospital’s history, the relationship with the community and how it came into existence, and the leadership of its board of directors,” observes Hobson. “The focus that our medical staff and associates have had on the quality of care, from a clinical perspective, is evidenced by the fact that we have been recognized on a national level by a number of benchmarks (for) outcomes and clinical quality. Our associates make certain that their friends and families get the kind of care that they would want to have themselves.”
Hobson’s tenure is already serving to enhance the reputation of Memorial, and his fresh perspective on the health care industry energizes a provider which looks to the future. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Hobson is a graduate of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, and also holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Memphis. A 25-year veteran of health care administration, he worked for 11 years with Methodist Hospitals of Memphis prior to serving as vice president of professional services at Bristol Regional Medical Center in Bristol, Tennessee. Before coming to Memorial, he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Phoebe Putney Health System in Albany, Georgia. Hobson says his move to Memorial has proven to be rewarding.
“Memorial is a wonderful faith-based organization that delivers world-class quality health care,” he says. “To be part of an organization with community support like Memorial has, along with its depth and breadth of partnerships within the market, is exciting to me. I think one of Chattanooga’s tremendous assets is the size of the community; the city is large enough to support many things and small enough that we can all be part of the community and have an impact on it.
“Those pieces of the puzzle were some of the attractions to me,” he continues. “Being part of a large multi-hospital system like Catholic Health Initiatives was important, considering the challenges of health care today. Those challenges include continuing to manage the cost of providing care and paying for care. These (challenges) will continue for us as an industry and as Americans try to understand how to deliver the quality care we have come to know and desire. Being part of a system creates some significant value for Memorial as an organization.”
According to Hobson, the future for Memorial includes capitalizing on the fundamentals which have already made the institution a leader in the health care industry. Expanding the system’s reach and continually improving service quality are priorities.
“As we look to the future, I see us continuing to take those building blocks of clinical and service excellence, including the faith-based organization that we are a part of, and expanding the region we are able to provide care for,” he says. “Memorial is well-positioned in the immediate Chattanooga area as a provider, but we can also play a larger role in the broader East Tennessee and North Georgia areas; that is where our opportunity exists during the next five to 10 years.
“We are also continuing to create access points for care, such as developing a facility in Ooltewah that will have additional primary care and imaging services in a convenient location for more people around Chattanooga and East Tennessee,” Hobson says. “Continuing to grow is an important piece of the future for us, along with building additional partnerships and relationships with other health care providers around the region. This is important for Memorial and for our ability to increase the volume of patients we provide care for.”
Although Hobson’s dedication to his chosen profession runs deep, he is also a family man, spending time with sons Coleman, 11, and David, 9, and with Kim, his wife of 14 years. While he acknowledges that his career requires involvement as a lifestyle rather than simply an occupation, he makes time for leisure pursuits. Golf and other ventures, however, are secondary these days to activities which involve his entire family.
“It is a privilege to serve this community on a professional level,” he reasons. “I also enjoy being on the baseball field with my boys. At their ages, the days are going by swiftly. Right now, time away is about being with the children, and I am blessed to have two great kids that still enjoy being around dad. Kim and the boys enjoy being in Chattanooga, and the transition has been an easy one. They have been able to connect with friends and get involved. Chattanooga is a very welcoming city, and it has been easy to get to know people.”
Health care is a complex system and involves numerous people at different levels of care. Memorial is fortunate to have more than 600 volunteers who provide support in many facets of the caregiving process, and Hobson recognizes the tremendous contribution made by these generous individuals. “It really is a reflection of the connection between Chattanooga and Memorial,” he comments. “Volunteers give the most important asset any of us have: time. They come here every day and make sure their friends and families have the kind of care they need; you can’t underestimate the value of what that means. As a faith-based organization, it is tremendous for us and our patients.”
Of course, Jim Hobson has come to appreciate the fact that the Memorial Health Care System is part of the fabric of life in the Chattanooga area and beyond. He realizes that a day never goes by without someone’s friend or family being touched by the services provided.
“We remind ourselves that folks here are not in normal circumstances when they come for treatment or accompany a family member,” he offers. “They are dealing with the stresses and uncertainty that go along with health issues. At times like these, our faith-based background becomes an important part of not just what we do, but sometimes more importantly, how we do it.”
Welcome to Chattanooga, Jim Hobson.
Mike Haskew is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and holds a degree in history. He is a native Chattanoogan and is currently Executive Vice President and Chattanooga City President for Cohutta Banking Company.
“Our faith-based background becomes an important part of not just what we do, but sometimes more importantly, how we do it.”