Faculty & Staff

Healthcare Accounting Trainer

Matt Atkins, CPA, CIA, 340B ACE

Matt is a manager in Draffin Tucker's Audit & Accounting service group in Albany, Georgia. During his time at Draffin Tucker, he has focused exclusively on the healthcare industry where he has experience auditing healthcare entities, preparing Medicare & Medicaid cost reports, internal audit outsourcing, evaluating 340B Program compliance and various other program reimbursement and consulting projects.

Matt is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in Georgia and a Certified Internal Auditor. Additionally, Matt is recognized as a 340B Apexus Certified Expert and is a frequent speaker on 340B compliance both regionally and nationally.

An Albany, Georgia native, Matt enjoys being outdoors, camping with his family, target shooting and traveling.

Healthcare Accounting Trainer

Bert Bennet, CPA

Bert Bennett is a Partner with Draffin Tucker's Audit and Accounting service group where he focuses primarily on the healthcare industry. Since joining the firm in 1994, Bert has gained extensive experience in auditing non-profit healthcare entities, preparing Medicare and Medicaid cost reports, and various other program reimbursement projects. Bert is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in Georgia and Florida. He is originally from Madison, GA, and when not in the office, Bert enjoys spending time with his family and also serves as treasurer of his church.

Therapy & Rehab Trainer

Amber Boatright, PT, DPT, CFPS

Amber graduated from Armstrong Atlantic State University with a Bachelor’s in Health Science in 2006. She then went on to attend Medical College of Georgia, in consortia with Armstrong Atlantic State University, where she earned a Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy in 2009. She received her certification in Nerve Conduction Velocity/Electromyography (NCV/EMG) and performs these studies at Appling Health Care System. She is also a Certified Fall Prevention Specialist and has used her expertise in a variety of settings including acute hospital, swing bed program, SNF, and outpatient clinics. Amber has been with BenCura for ten years, taking on multiple roles and currently holds the position of Clinical Specialist. She is married to Brandon and they have three children.

Coding & HIM Trainer
Brittany Carpenter, RHIA, CHDA, CPC

Brittany Carpenter is the Director of Reporting and Data Analytics for HCCS (Healthcare Coding and Consulting Services) based out of Fort Myers, Florida. Brittany holds a RHIA, CHDA, CPC and has a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management. She has gained experience in healthcare coding, finance, HIM and data analytics for over 13 years, and HCCS has been a partner with HomeTown Health since 2013. Brittany manages coding and auditing data analytics for all of HCCS which includes over 100 facilities all across the United States, including Florida.

Revenue Cycle Trainer

Mark Craig

Mark Craig is President and Co-founder of Revenue Cycle Associates. He is a Georgia native and graduate of Georgia State University. Mark has over 20 years of experience in the accounts receivable and revenue cycle management industry. His history of designing innovative and cost effective processes for rural hospitals has made Revenue Cycle Associates an industry leader in improving revenue cycle functions and increasing cash flow. Mark resides in Sandy Springs, GA, with his wife and two children. He is a Master Scuba Instructor and enjoys UW videography.

Financial & Operations Trainer

James (Jamie) O. Cleverley, MHA,

Mr. Cleverley serves as President for Cleverley & Associates, where he has worked since 2003. Mr. Cleverley consults with hospital and healthcare organizations to identify financial and operating opportunities, as well as related strategies for performance improvement. Prior to joining the firm, he directed a statewide health services program.

Mr. Cleverley has authored over fifty books and articles dealing with healthcare financial analysis and application, including the annual Community Value Index® hospital survey, The State of the Hospital Industry, and The Essentials of Health Care Finance. He is a two-time recipient of the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s Yerger/Seawell Best Article award.

Mr. Cleverley received his Master of Health Administration from The Ohio State University in 2004. He received his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from The Ohio State University in 1999.

Director of Coding

Jenan Custer, RHIA

Jenan Custer is the Director of Coding for HCCS (Health Care Coding and Consulting Services) based out of Fort Myers Florida. Jenan holds an RHIA, CCS, CPC, CDIP, AHIMA ICD-10-CM/PCS Approved Trainer, AHIMA Ambassador, and has a bachelor’s in health information management. She has been involved in the coding and HIM areas for over 18 years, and HCCS been a partner with Home Town Health since 2013. Jenan oversees a coding team exceeding 200 remote coders, consulting services, and coding for over 100 facilities all across the United States.

Educator & Trainer

Travis Dobbs, MS, APRN, FNP-C

Travis Dobbs, MS, APRN, FNP-C is a Family Nurse Practitioner with an Internal Medicine specialty and is a certified MAT Practitioner. He holds a bachelors degree in nursing from Brenau University and a Masters Degree in family nurse practitioner from the University of North Georgia. He began his career in healthcare at age 16 as a certified nurse assistant. He is married with two children and enjoys being outdoors, fishing and traveling with his family.

Swing Bed Expert

Kerry Dunning

Kerry Dunning has 30 years in health care consulting and over 35 years in the industry. She specializes in the post-acute market working with hospital based skilled nursing and swing bed programs, inpatient/outpatient rehab programs, and inner-city teaching hospitals. From the beginning of her career, Kerry has been involved in cutting edge projects – working with Yale-New Haven/Bridgeport Hospital and CMS on ED direct admits to skilled nursing (1980s); on a team with Tulane and the World Health Organization to begin the first nursing home in Russia (1990s); as part of a start-up therapy company (1990s) providing services in skilled nursing with a goal of returning residents to home; providing guidance to a team from Shandong University (China) on inpatient rehabilitation services (2007); and for many years providing bed need analysis, market analysis and copacetic service line development for rural healthcare and multi-faceted urban systems.

Her most recent planning project was to analyze the need for long term care, skilled nursing, assisted living, memory care and swing beds in 2025 and 2035 for a hospital system.

Physician Educator

James Dunnick, MD

Dr. James Dunnick is board certified in internal medicine and cardiology. He has 25 years of clinical practice experience specializing in congestive heart failure, cholesterol, hypertension, and the effects of heart disease in women. He has authored and published articles, medical textbook chapters and presented original research at national meetings. Dr. Dunnick attended IU Bloomington and IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis, where he placed in the Honors Division. He is a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and is also certified in Health Care Quality and Management (CHCQM) by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians (ABQAURP).

Coding Trainer

Melissa Edenburn, MS, RHIA, CCS

Melissa Edenburn, MS, RHIA, CCS is the Inpatient Coding and Consulting Manager at HCCS and has been in the healthcare industry since 1994. Over the years Melissa has performed roles such as Inpatient coder, OP wound care coder, Inpatient auditor and is currently the inpatient manager. Melissa specializes in acute care, long-term acute care, critical access and skilled nursing admission. Melissa has her Master of Science in Education as well as her RHIA and CCS credentials. Melissa previously taught at Austin Community College in the RHIT program and the Texas State University coding lab.

Financial Trainer

Kathryn Fletcher

Kathryn is a partner in Draffin & Tucker’s Quality Control Department of the Audit and Accounting service group. Since joining the firm in 2001, she has gained extensive knowledge auditing non-profit and governmental healthcare entities. As a quality control partner, Kathryn assists the firm with accounting and auditing research, attest engagement reviews, training and development of firm personnel, and monitoring the firm’s quality control policies. She is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice in Georgia.

Medicare Consultant

Dale Gibson

Dale Gibson started his own Medicare consulting business in 1997 and is now well-known among the HomeTown Health network as the 'Medicare Expert'.

Dale began his healthcare career in 1980 as a Business Office Manager for a large hospital in Fort Walton Beach, Florida that was a part of Humana. He briefly worked for HHL in Miami n 1989 before returning to Humana as a Corporate Consultant for Business Offices. In 1993, he became a Medicare Consultant through a merger with HCA.

Dale completed his B.S. from Troy University and resides in Pensacola, Florida.

RHC Educator

Jeff Harper

For the past forty-four years, Jeff Harper has been a business leader and innovator. During his emerging career, his accomplishments include: Working with Hospitals and Physician Practices in both urban and rural areas. Leading a regional CPA Firm as Managing Partner of a regional for 8 years; Providing 10 years of strategic financial leadership as CFO; Navigating and heavily negotiating through 16 mergers & acquisitions; and Serving as President of 50-million-dollar international corporation for 3 1/2 years. He presently is a principal of InQuiseek Consulting. He Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC®) thorough the Compliance Certification Board. Harper is in various hospitals and RHCs ever week all over the rural landscape and his diverse experience gives him a unique perspective to address opportunities for improved operational performance and cultural transformation. He is a regular presenter on rural healthcare issues on both national and state levels. He has membership in NARHC and NRHA.

RHC Educator

Patty Harper

Patty Harper is CEO of InQuiseek Consulting, a healthcare consulting company based in Louisiana. She has over 24 years of healthcare experience in the areas of healthcare finance & reimbursement, health information management, compliance, and practice management. She began her healthcare career as a hospital controller and reimbursement analyst. Patty holds a B.S. in Health Information Administration (cum laude) from Louisiana Tech University. She is credentialed through AHIMA as a RHIA, CHTS-IM, and CHTS-PW. She is also Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC®) thorough the Compliance Certification Board. Patty is a frequent speaker and contributor for national, state, and regional rural healthcare associations. She has held memberships regional, state and national organizations throughout her healthcare career including NARHC, NRHA, AHIMA, MGMA, and HFMA. Patty has served two terms on the Board of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics.

Coding Educator

Angela Hartman, CPC, CCS

Angela Hartman has been in the healthcare industry for over 20 years and is a Certified Professional Coder (CPC), as well as a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS). She joined the HCCS team in April 2010. Her jobs have ranged from professional and facility ER coding to auditing/training which landed her in her current position as the Coding Operations Manager. Angela frequently presents on in-depth coding topics and occasionally shares her coder perspective with noncoders.

Behavioral Health Educator

Kenna Dunlap Johnson, MBA, MSW, LCSW

Kenna has a long history working in inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings. She currently works for UltraGroup Healthcare as the Vice President of Outpatient Services, providing behavioral health consulting and management. Kenna is also an Adjunct Faculty for the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. In addition, she serves as the President for the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter, for the 2021 – 2023 term.

Healthcare Accounting Trainer

Bubba Joiner, CPA

Wilson (Bubba) Joiner III, CPA, is a Partner at Draffin Tucker. Bubba is a graduate from the University of Georgia in 1993 where he earned a BBA with a major in Accounting. His public accounting career has been concentrated in the healthcare industry with extensive experience in auditing, reimbursement planning, preparation of Medicare and Medicaid cost reports, tax return forms and provider representation in dealing with state and fiscal intermediaries. In addition, Bubba has been teaching continuing education classes within his firm as well as external professional organizations for over twenty-five years.

Executive Leadership Educator

Andy Kaufman, PMP

Andy has over 30 years in executive leadership, project management, technology, speaking and training. He is a Certified Project Management professional and a member of the Project Management Institute. He is the author of three books and host of 'The People and Projects' Podcast.

Andy has began work at the Institute for Leadership Excellence and Development in 2001 where he has served as executive coach for over 200 clients, keynote speaker at conferences and corporate meetings, adjunct faculty for Loyola's Quinlan School of Business MBA program and taught on every continent (except Antarctica).

Andy holds a BS in Business Data Processing and has extensive mentoring in instructional design techniques.

Medicare Advantage Consultant

Leanne Layne, MBA

Leanne graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in Political Science and an MBA in Business. She has worked in physician office settings as a Front Office Manager and Site Manager. Leanne has also worked in the hospital setting as a part of the accounting department and also as a Business Office Director. Now, she works as a consultant with Dale Gibson and works to keep up with Medicare Advantage plan changes and serving as revenue cycle consultant alongside hospital revenue cycle teams.

Vice President of Research & Development

Gary Lucas

Gary Lucas oversees certification programs and eLearning operations at ARCHPRO Coding and Consulting. With 29 years of experience and over 1,900 seminars delivered, he specializes in clinical documentation, coding compliance, and healthcare training strategy. He previously consulted for federal agencies and the private sector, and holds a master’s in Health Informatics from UIC. Based in metro Atlanta, Gary enjoys live music, local eats, and time with his two sons.

Attorney – Healthcare Legal Trainer

Michele Madison

Michele Person Madison is a Partner in Healthcare Practice, where she provides general legal advice to health systems in various regulatory and business matters. Ms. Madison is highly experienced in managing legal issues arising in hospitals, physician offices or integrated health systems including employment, investigations, risk management assessment and corporation management, and she provides legal education for health systems’ medical staff, management team and employees in these areas. She often facilitates and manages implementation of compliance plans for HIPAA privacy and security regulations, drafts and completes Certificate of Need applications and facilitates regulatory compliance, and provides oversight and guidance regarding medical staff governance and credentialing issues. Ms. Madison also works with information technology companies and advises clients on compliance with regulations and industry standards. She has specific experience in negotiating contractual agreements between healthcare providers and service providers, interpreting and advising health systems on regulations applicable to the healthcare industry, and providing regulatory advice with a focus on Stark, Anti-Kickback and HIPAA. Ms. Madison also has key experience and expertise in Compliance programs. She provides advice for compliance with state and federal regulations and regularly drafts and negotiates agreements with hospitals, physicians, managed care organizations and ancillary service providers, as well as contractual agreements for vendors with an emphasis on information technology, purchasing and lease agreements. Ms. Madison also works with electronic medical record vendors and personal health record providers.

Director of Coding

Pam Mathews, RN, MBA

Pam Matthews is a well-versed education leader and established online and live trainer on many topics including HIT, clinical systems, electronic health records, health information exchange, patient outcomes/population management, financial and business information systems, change management, project management, leadership, executive leadership, career strategies, and organizational strategic planning. She is a career Registered Nurse with an MBA in Organization Management and holds BSIE, FHIMSS and CPHIMS certifications. She has spent her career working in various roles within healthcare industry and also serves as an adjuct professor for two universities. She resides in Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Technology Solutions Educator

Neal Miller, CEO

Neal is the president of Sunlink Healthcare Technology, an IT Managed Solutions Provider. He worked at the ground level as IT Director for hospitals before moving into a role as Director of Applications at Sunlink. Under this role, he helped to develop the technology that runs one of Georgia’s regional HIEs and onboarded multiple hospitals and providers. At his time with the company, his responsibilities grew to Vice President of Operation and then to his current role a President overseeing the company. Neal has over 19 years of IT experience and over 24 years of building and leading teams to successful outcomes and creating solutions to overcome challenges while working within the confines of budgets and time. Neal brings a wealth of knowledge to help lead the Sunlink Healthcare Technology team to surpass client expectations while delivering the client a measurable ROI.

Pharmacy Trainer
Robert Murry, PharmD

Robert Murry of Watkinsville, Georgia received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Georgia in 2009. Robert has 12 years of combined retail and hospital pharmacy experience. His roles have included being the pharmacist-in-charge at a high-volume retail pharmacy and serving as a hospital’s Director of Pharmacy. He now serves as Regional Pharmacy Manager with PharmD on Demand overseeing both hospital and retail pharmacies.

Nurse Consultant
Lisa Pando, RN, BA, CCRN, CLNC, CDONA, RAC-CT, CCA

Lisa has over 30 years’ experience in hands-on clinical and nursing administration roles, including 11 years as Director of Nursing for a 167-bed nursing facility. She has also served as a manager of a 60-bed Sub-acute unit and Clinical Coordinator of 12 bed Intensive Care Unit. In addition to DON responsibilities, Lisa has specialized in development of policies and procedures, medical necessity documentation, and QAPI programming. Lisa has a strong understanding of Federal Rules and Regulations as well as Joint Commission standards. Lisa has extensive experience working with Special Focus Facilities and their return to compliance. Additionally, she focuses on the completion of Mock Surveys and Risk Assessments for freestanding SNFs, as hospital based SNFs and Swing Bed Facilities.

For the last thirteen years, Lisa has served as a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant to attorneys on in-depth medical record reviews, including understanding legal aspects for developing and monitoring medical records for case review. Lisa has also served as an expert witness in defense as well as plaintiff cases. Lisa is a nationally recognized speaker for NADONA, FADONA, FHCA and AANAC on risk audits, legalities of medical record documentation and ICD-10 coding for MDS.

Coding Educator
Ramona Porter, CPC, CCS, CPMA, CHONC, CRC

Ramona works for HCCS as the Manager to Manager of Coding Education and Policy and is an experienced coding professional with a passion for education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education and has 20 years of teaching experience. Her passion for learning has led to several certifications in addition to her initial CPC, including CCS, CPMA, CHONC, and the CRC. Ramona enjoys traveling the states providing coding education and giving lectures at local and regional AAPC chapters.

Industry Trainer

Jennie Price

Jennie joined the HomeTown Health team in May 2014 with experience in healthcare risk management and marketing, and having worked with a number of member hospitals. Jennie’s specialties, outside of marketing, include professional liability such as medical malpractice, and property/casualty insurance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Berry College in Rome, GA in Communication, as well as Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies. She has earned a variety of designations in the area of insurance and risk management, including the Accredited Advisor of Insurance (AAI), Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU), and Associate in Risk Management (ARM). Jennie has also earned the Grant Professional Certified (GPC) credential from the Grants Professional Certification Institute (GPCI) and completed the requirements to work as a GPC practitioner.

Revenue Cycle Education Specialist

Annie Lee Sallee

Since starting her career in healthcare in 2005, Annie Lee has become certified through AHIMA as a RHIT and an approved AHIMA ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer as well as certified through AAPC with a CPC and CPMA. She holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Health Information Management from Boise State University, as well as a Masters degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration from Idaho State University.

Annie Lee previously worked with the Medical University of South Carolina as a clinical revenue manager as well as a revenue cycle project manager. She has experience working with revenue enhancement projects related to both facility and professional billing. Annie Lee resides in Charleston, SC with her husband, Paul, and their three children.

Revenue Cycle Consultant

Rachel Savary

Rachel Savary is the founder of RS Data Analytics & Support Services, LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to strengthening revenue cycle operations for rural healthcare providers. With 18 years of billing experience and over 6 years in revenue cycle management at a rural hospital, Rachel brings deep expertise in patient access, billing, coding, denials, and compliance.

Since launching her firm in 2023, she has partnered with Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Health Clinics across multiple states, providing hands-on assessments, staff training, and workflow solutions that drive financial sustainability.

Rachel’s work blends analytics, compliance, and education to empower rural facilities with the tools and knowledge to operate independently and thrive in today’s healthcare landscape.

Telehealth Trainer

Juliette Simpson,LCSW

Juliette Simpson,LCSW is the Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder of AllHealth CHOICE is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, holds a Master ofSocial Work and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Sociology from University of Georgia and Presbyterian College. She has over 20 yearsof healthcare leadership experience with consistently increasing levels ofresponsibility. As Senior Vice President of Care Integration and Vitality forPruittHealth, Juliette successfully managed multi-service line healthcare operations, which included Hospice, Home Health, HCBSWaivered Ser-vices, Adult Day Health, Care Management, Managed Care Contracting and Payor Relations. She was responsible for a multi-state team of regis-tered nurses who were responsible for developing strategic relationships with hospitals to promote the screening and admission to Post-Acute Careservices including Long-Term Care, Assisted Living and Home Health Services. Juliette has developed positive relationships withhealthcare pro-viders throughout the Southeast and is an active member of several professional and not-for-profit organizations

Revenue Cycle Trainer

Becky Tarr

Rebecca Corzine Tarr,RN, CPA is the President and CEO at MedPerformance. Becky has over 30 years of experience in health care, which includes 25 years in Revenue Cycle / Case Management at four different acute care hospital systems. She is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of MedPerformance, a Revenue Cycle Consulting Company that specializes in denials and appeals through consulting services. Ms. Corzine Tarr received her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Loyola University in Chicago, a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of South Florida with a concentration in Finance. She also has postgraduate hours in accounting and finance. Ms. Corzine Tarr holds both a Florida CPA and RN license. On a personal note, Ms. Corzine Tarr is married and lives in Valrico, Florida. She has three grown children and five wonderful grandchildren

AI Adoption Strategist & Coach

Dr. Tyler Wallace

Tyler Wallace, PhD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia, where he teaches health informatics and AI in the Master of Health Administration program. His work centers on applied AI in healthcare and on AI adoption, governance, and workforce readiness in rural and community health.

He designed the nation’s first AI certification for rural health and a cohort-based AI-readiness program with HomeTown Health, and developed Microsoft’s AI Learning Path for Rural and Community Health.

Through his firm, Scale Street, he advises healthcare, government, and private-sector clients on AI adoption and training. He holds a PhD in Public Health and an MBA, and is a PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt, and Microsoft Certified Trainer.

Quality Educator

Karla Weng, MPH CPHQ

Karla is a Director of Program Management for Stratis Health leading the organization’s rural-focused programs. For nearly 25 years, Karla has led a wide variety of national, state, and local initiatives supporting rural hospitals and health care providers to improve quality and patient safety including adopting value-based care strategies, developing palliative care services, implementing quality management methods, and a variety of clinical quality and population health efforts. She is a frequent presenter at meetings and conferences, often with a focus on rural implications related to Federal quality programs and value-based care payment models. Karla has a master’s degree in public health administration from the University of Minnesota, an undergraduate degree in community health education from Minnesota State University – Moorhead, and is a Certified Professional in Health Care Quality (CPHQ).

Karla is a nationally recognized rural health leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing rural health system transformation through federally funded quality improvement, value-based care, and care delivery redesign initiatives. As Director of Program Management and Rural Program Lead at Stratis Health, she provides senior leadership for rural-focused programs delivering technical assistance to hospitals and clinics to strengthen quality improvement infrastructure, enhance workforce capacity, expand access to care, and prepare for alternative payment and care delivery models. Karla has led major national initiatives, including the HRSA Federal Office of Rural Health Policy–funded Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance program, supporting more than 1,360 Critical Access Hospitals and all 45 state Medicare Rural Hospital Flex Programs, and currently leads Stratis Health’s support for the national Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project and the Rural Health Value program.

Clinical Educator

Martha White, DNP

Martha White, MBA, DNP, has served the health care industry for over thirty years primarily in intensive care, emergency care, health promotion and patient safety. She worked as a Nurse Practitioner in Health Promotion working within a high school clinic to promote health and encourage health care careers. While working at the bedside, Martha also taught in undergraduate and graduate nursing. She served the communities throughout the pandemic with covid screening, vaccinations and case management. Martha’s passion is patient safety and quality improvement and she has spearheaded projects across the region to improve the delivery of patient care.

A native of Georgia, Martha received her Bachelor of Education from Armstrong State College in Savannah, Georgia where she also received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In 2008 while working in patient safety, Martha received a Masters in Business Administration from Mercer University. She subsequently received both a Family Nurse Practitioner and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Georgia Southern University. Martha is a TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer and has developed and presented classes on multiple healthcare topics.

RHC Trainer

Helen Williams

Helen Williams RHC Trainer Helen Williams, CPC, CPM is the Senior Healthcare Consultant at Azalea Health. Helen has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare financial management, billing and coding in practices, clinics and hospitals. She has an extensive background working as a consultant in a variety of specialties, as well as in billing, verification, Medicare and Medicaid, cash management, and more. In her role with Azalea Health, she will provide insight and guidance in credentialing and in working with specialty practices and rural health clinics. Williams is a certified ICD-10 coding professional.

Telehealth/Telemedicine Trainer
Sherrie Williams, LCSW

Sherrie Williams is the Chief of Operations of the Georgia-based, non-profit Global Partnership for Telehealth. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker from rural South Georgia, Sherrie stumbled into telehealth as she struggled to match her clients with needed medical and mental health resources. She was instrumental in developing and implementing the very first school-based telehealth program in Georgia. The model she created is still being used today across 100’s of school programs. After experiencing the true value of telehealth, Sherrie soon left the social work profession to pursue a career in telehealth full-time. She began working with GPT in 2012.

In addition to her work at GPT, Sherrie serves on several boards including the Technology Association of Georgia-Health Division (Advisory Board); Georgia Rural Health Association (Board member); College of Coastal Georgia’s Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics degree program (Advisory Board); Georgia’s HOSA- Future Health Professionals program (Advisory Board).

Chief Executive Officer

Jimmy Lewis, CEO

Jimmy Lewis has roots in rural South Georgia where he was born in Cordele, Georgia. Having graduated high school in Cordele, he attended Middle Georgia College and then Auburn University. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering from Auburn. Jimmy has held senior management positions in six fortune five hundred companies. He has been instrumental in passing key rural legislation and regulation for hospital-based nursing homes, state merit, PPS and critical access hospitals. All of these have been key to the survival of rural hospitals and rural health care in Georgia.

Under his leadership, HomeTown Health has grown to a Georgia-based virtual company where 60+ hospital members and 60 business partners cumulatively have over $800 million in sales. HomeTown Health activities range from the identification of best practice solutions, to education, collective purchasing, developing managed care strategies, reimbursement advocacy, as well as legislative representation. HomeTown Health's efforts have been very instrumental in saving many of Georgia's rural hospitals.

Jimmy is married with two grown sons. He and his wife, June, live in Cumming, Georgia.

Chief Operating Officer

Kristy Thomson, COO

Kristy Thomson serves as the Chief Operating Officer of HomeTown Health, a network of rural and critical-access hospitals, and its education arm, HomeTown Health University (HTHU). She leads operations, strategic initiatives, and workforce development programs that support rural hospitals across the U.S. Since joining HomeTown Health in 2006, she has played a pivotal role in expanding educational opportunities, strengthening rural healthcare leadership, and advancing innovative solutions that improve access to care and organizational sustainability.

As the former Director of Education, Kristy built and led HomeTown Health University, overseeing educational programming that has served more than 100,000 healthcare professionals through live, virtual, and on-demand learning. She directed curriculum development, faculty engagement, continuing education accreditation, and regulatory compliance while supporting state and federal grant initiatives. Today, she continues to oversee HomeTown Health University while leading the organization's operational strategy and member services.

Kristy has become a recognized leader in rural healthcare workforce development and responsible artificial intelligence adoption. She has helped develop statewide and national initiatives that prepare rural healthcare organizations to implement AI in practical, ethical, and sustainable ways, including partnerships with academic institutions, technology leaders, and healthcare organizations focused on strengthening the rural workforce. In partnership with the University of Georgia and Microsoft, Kristy helped bring the first rural-health AI certification and cohort readiness program to HomeTown Health member hospitals.

She serves on numerous state and national advisory groups, including the Georgia GREAT Health Advisory Council, Georgia Department of Community Health Continuous Program Improvement – Healthcare Access Committee, the Georgia Rural Workforce Advisory Committee, the Anthem-Medical Association of Georgia Advisory Committee, the Georgia Clinical Transformation Team, the Georgia Maternal Health Task Force, Washington Rural AI Committee and the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) Awards Committee.

A native of Toccoa, Georgia, Kristy earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Clemson University and a Master of Science degree from the University of Georgia.

Director of Education

Evelyn Leadbetter,MPA

Evelyn Leadbetter, MPA, proudly serves as HomeTown Health’s Director of Education. She joined the HomeTown Health team in December 2014 and strives to deliver the best education possible for the HomeTown network through the mission and vision of HomeTown Health and HomeTown Health University. A native of Dahlonega, Georgia, Evelyn completed her Bachelors in Business Administration at the University of North Georgia, as well as her Masters in Public Administration and Disaster Management at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. She then continued her graduate studies in Disaster Management at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Emergency Management Institute. A 2017 recepient of the HomeTown Health Executive Leadership Award, Evelyn's experience in healthcare, public policy, emergency preparedness, community support, and accredited continuing education, has enabled her to better serve as the Director of Education for HomeTown Health.

Business Partner Director

Sherri Ackerman

Sherri Ackerman joined the team in April of 2011 and serves as HomeTown Health's Business Partner Director managing the program, coordinating support for member hospitals through Business Partner relationships, and promoting Partner services within our network. Along with that role, she supports government relations efforts and helps facilitate the HomeTown Health Executive Leadership Program. Prior to HTH, Sherri led Client Services at an Atlanta advertising agency, specializing in recruitment. She holds a B.A. in Advertising from the University of Georgia.

Program Manager

Lauren Adair

Lauren Adair is from Semmes, AL and now lives in Homewood, AL. She graduated from the University of Alabama in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Health Sciences. While in college Lauren worked as an Acute Care OT and PT Technician at DCH Hospital. She also worked with the University of Alabama Gymnastics team. Lauren spent 8 years working for an EHR company where she started as a Financial Specialist and then moved into an Account Manager Role.

Lauren has two rescue dogs named Lola (Siberian Husky) and Copper (Golden Doodle). She lives for her niece and nephews, traveling, and concerts.

Controller

Amy Bush

Controller

Amy Bush

Amy is the Controller for Hometown Health. She joined the HomeTown Health staff in March 2017 and is responsible for the daily functions of the financial performance and viability of the HomeTown Health organization. She holds a bachelor's of science in business with a specialization in accounting.

Before joining HomeTown, Amy worked in banking as a Data Processing Specialist. She was later employed as an Office Manager at an insurance agency and then became a Certified Insurance Agent for the State of Georgia. Amy lives in Unadilla, Georgia with her husband, Lee. They have three grown children, Austin (and wife Amber), Lauren and Jordan, and are proudly known as Grumpy & Glammy to their first grandson, Anderson.

Director of Program Development

Lisa Carhuff, RN, MSN

Lisa Carhuff, RN, MSN, Director of Program Development at HomeTown Health, has served the health care industry for over thirty-five (35) years with a primary focus in quality improvement, population health and patient safety leadership spanning the healthcare continuum. Prior to joining HomeTown Health in August 2019, she served at the Department of Community Health focused on improving access to quality health care for Georgia’s rural and underserved populations.

A native of rural Mississippi, Lisa received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center and her Master of Science Degree in Nursing focused on Rural Populations from the University of Alabama.

Lisa has achieved certifications in Lean Sigma Green Belt, is a TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer, and is a certified as a Gallup Strengths Coach, a Five Behaviors Practitioner, Everything DiSC Practitioner and is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Behavior Analysis Consultant and Trainer.

Lisa and her husband Carl, a retired Air Force fighter pilot, reside in Warner Robins, GA. Together, they have four grown children and two grandsons.

Director of Customer Relations

Susannah Cowart

Susannah joined Hometown in April 2013 as Customer Relations Coordinator for the Florida Division. A native of Tifton, Georgia, she attended Abraham Baldwin College and continued to Brenau Women’s College in Gainesville, Georgia. While serving in a critical access hospital for 8 years, Susannah developed diverse healthcare experience in materials management, marketing and community relations. Susannah and her husband, Jake, currently reside in Bainbridge, Georgia.

Learning and Development Specialist

Terry Edwards, M.S.

Terry Edwards joined the HomeTown Health team in November 2018 as the Learning and Development Specialist to support the continued growth of HomeTown Health University. During the 20 years prior to joining HTH, he worked in the manufacturing sector holding HR and L&D positions with Cooper Tire Company and Molson Coors beverage company.

Terry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Valdosta State University and a Master of Science degree in Management from Troy University. Terry and his wife, Tally reside in Leesburg, GA.

Program Manager

Jessica Guy, MBA

Jessica Guy, MBA, joined HomeTown Health as a Program Manager in January 2025, bringing over 25 years of experience spanning rural hospital administration, physician practices, quality improvement initiatives, and daily rural hospital operations. In her Program Manager role, Jessica provides grant management services to multiple states to support rural healthcare innovation, drawing on her background in program development, strategic partnerships, and team leadership. In her previous roles, she led value based care initiatives for a clinically integrated network of 500 providers and managed the day to day operations for a rural 37 bed hospital. She is a native of Reidsville, Georgia and currently resides in Louisville, Georgia with her husband, Matt, and two children, Morgan and Will. She holds a B.A. from Augusta University and an M.B.A. from Georgia College and State University. She is a certified practitioner in Everything DiSC and Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team and has a Specialization Certification in Value Based Care.

Client Data Specialist

Stephanie Love

Stephanie Love joined the HTH/HTHU team in February of 2018 as HomeTown’s Client Data Specialist. Stephanie is responsible for oversight, management, evaluation and quality control of data, lending its impact for customer-driven support and strategy development support surmised from data inputs for HomeTown Health. In addition, Stephanie serves the HTHU team through webinar coordination and hosting and customer support services for subscribers and users. Stephanie has 10 years’ experience in business, management, marketing, and administrative positions across a variety of professional settings. Stephanie completed her Associates Degree in Business Administration in September 2018 and completed her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Health Care Management in December 2019. Stephanie lives in Brunswick, GA with her husband, Joshua and children, Tyler, Kaleigh-Marie, and Jax.

Program Manager

Lisa Ryles

Lisa Ryles joined the HomeTown Health Team in 2021 and brings with her over 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. Lisa began her healthcare career, as a high school student volunteering in her local hospital. After graduating from Statesboro High School in Statesboro, Georgia, Lisa attended Georgia Southern University and received her Nursing diploma from Ogeechee Technical College. After receiving her nursing diploma in 1999, she began working in rural hospitals as a nurse.

In the years that followed, she worked as a nurse in multiple departments before her appointment as a Director in 2011. She has served as Director over 15 different departments, as well as working as a Occupational Health Nurse and Human Resources Specialist with a large manufacturer. Lisa worked extensively in healthcare management positions that has built a large skill set surrounding the needs of small rural hospitals. During her work with rural hospitals, she worked to establish the Rural Hospital Tax Credit program, served as Project Manager, assisted in preparation, review and administration of state and federal grants.

In her current role as a Program Manager at HomeTown Health, Lisa utilizes these skill sets to organize and coordinate multiple programs that serve member and grant hospitals. She serves as a liaison between the individuals working on the program internally, hospital members, and other key stakeholders to ensure excellent program outcomes, and improved care coordination for participants and their communities. Lisa also served for many years as a City Councilmember and Mayor ProTem in her hometown and as a Director of the Claxton-Evans Chamber of Commerce.

She currently lives in her hometown of Register, Georgia, with her husband, Allen, and two of her sons, Conner and Caleb. Her oldest son, Kendall, lives in Chicago, Illinois, and works as an Epidemiologist.

Revenue Cycle Analyst

Sandy Sage, RN

Sandy Sage is a Revenue Cycle Analyst and Registered Nurse who joined the HomeTown Health team officially in 2016 after years of partner work as an instructor for HTHU. She works closely with hospitals assisting them in implementing best practice revenue cycle processes and provides hospital staff education related to all areas of the revenue cycle. She has previously worked as a private consultant for revenue cycle process development and chargemaster compliance in rural hospitals. Sandy has been an instructor for HomeTown Health University for over 10 years and currently provides education insight through course development, webinars and live training events. She developed the Rev Up Your Revenue Cycle program for hospital benchmarking performance and is involved in developing and implementing hospital grant programs for multiple states.

Sandy sits on the Georgia Medicaid RAC Provider Relations as a Committee Member and on the Continuous Performance Improvement Committee for the Georgia Department of Community Health. She has a clinical background and has worked primarily in rural hospitals throughout her career. Sandy transitioned from clinical nursing to the financial side of the hospital and has worked as a Revenue Cycle Analyst, Case Management Director, and Chargemaster Coordinator since that time.

Sandy is a native of California and moved to Georgia at age 12. She has two grown daughters and currently resides in Cochran, Georgia.

Program Manager

Lesa Schlatman RN, BSN

Lesa Schlatman grew up in a small rural town where her passion for nursing flourished as a young girl while helping to care for her chronically ill grandfather. Lesa went on to earn an Associate of Applied Science – Nursing Associate Degree and a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. The need to make a difference grew into a nursing career of over 30 years with a strong & current foundation in Care Coordination processes, Population Health strategies, and Process/Quality Improvement initiatives. Lesa’s vast work experience has taught her the true value of care coordination, patient centered care, and communication & collaboration across healthcare systems. Utilizing these core principles, she strives to assist healthcare settings in achieving effective population health programs and strategies tailored to meet their individual needs.

Prior to HomeTown Health, Lesa worked extensively in healthcare management positions that has built a large skill set surrounding the needs of Skilled Care settings, Long Term Care, RHC’s, and Critical Access Hospitals. She also received hands on experience and expertise that enabled her to become a subject matter expert on CCM & TCM program regulations and implementation. In her current role as a Program Manager at HomeTown Health, Lesa utilizes these skill sets to organize and coordinate multiple programs that serve member or grant hospitals. She serves as a liaison between the individuals working on the program internally, hospital members, and other key stakeholders to ensure excellent program outcomes, and improved care coordination for participants and their communities. Lesa has 3 adult children and still resides in the same small hometown of Kewanee, IL with her husband, son, and 4 rescue pets.

Education Development Specialist

Melissa E. Smith

Melissa E. Smith joined the HomeTown Health team in April 2020 and brings with her over 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. A native of Statesboro, Georgia, her career began as a high school and college student working part-time in the business office of her hometown hospital. Melissa completed her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Computer Information Systems at Georgia State University and secured a position as an IT consultant assisting various healthcare systems in Y2K and then HIPAA readiness. After moving to Columbus, Georgia, Melissa worked in project management and quality improvement at AFLAC and then went on to co-found Vision Biomedical Services, a medical equipment management company servicing small hospitals and surgery centers in Georgia and Alabama. As an Education Development Specialist for HomeTown, Melissa will support the continued growth of HomeTown Health University. She lives in Columbus, Georgia, with her sons Evan and Chase and their five rescue animals.

Healthcare Data Specialist

Taylor Thomson

Taylor Thomson was born in Atlanta, GA, and grew up in Jacksonville, FL, where she attended Creekside High School. She earned her B.S. in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology from the University of Florida, graduating summa cum laude with completion of an honors thesis pertaining to addiction medicine. Taylor’s career journey has been rooted in healthcare, beginning as a Certified Nursing Assistant in outpatient pediatric and inpatient adult care. This hands-on experience provided her with invaluable insights into patient needs and healthcare
operations.

Taylor now resides in Tampa, FL, with plans to attend medical school in the fall of 2025.

In her current role as a Healthcare Data Specialist, Taylor manages customer data (CDM) for HomeTown Health, LLC, overseeing member, business partner, and network information. She gathers, analyzes, organizes, and shares customer data to help her team better understand client needs, enhance customer experiences, and build loyalty. By managing data efficiently, HomeTown Health can address customer concerns quickly, gather real-time feedback, and strengthen relationships to boost retention and satisfaction.

Financial Service Specialist

Liena Tyndal

Liena is the Financial Services Specialist for Hometown Health. She joined the HomeTown Health staff in September 2022 and assists in the daily functions of the financial performance and viability of the HomeTown Health organization.

Liena is currently pursuing her degree in Healthcare Administration and plans to graduate in 2023. She is married to Ty, and they reside in Pinehurst, Georgia with their two dogs, Gentry and Bayou.

Client Data Specialist

Mandee Toms

Mandee Toms was born and raised in Moultrie, Ga and graduated from Colquitt County High School. She received her BS in Radiologic Technology and a Certificate in Radiation Therapy from the Medical College of Ga. After graduation she worked in Radiation Therapy for two years at Moses Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro N.C. before moving back to Georgia. She worked at Piedmont Hospital and Radiotherapy Clinics as a Radiation Therapist until her children were born at which time she was a stay at home mom. Mandee has taught at Johns Creek United Methodist Preschool in Johns Creek, Ga for 12 years and currently works there as well as working at Hometown Health part time.

Mandee lives in Cumming, Ga with her husband Patrick and their three children Trevor, Mary Claire and Anna and their two dogs Darby and Indy.

Director of Research & Grants Management

Dr. Gwendolyn A. Williams, MHA, MBA

Gwen has over twenty years of Medicare quality improvement experience working with healthcare providers, including hospitals, nursing homes and home health agencies and piloted the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Everyone with Diabetes Counts in priority, underserved, minority, and rural populations, launched nationally in 2014. Gwen has trained over 200 community health workers in diabetes self-management education and support, motivational interviewing, and participatory education techniques to deliver the Diabetes Empower Education Program to Medicare beneficiaries.

She successfully authored and implemented two notable CMS innovation projects, including the Senior Lifestyle Improvement Movement (SLIM) program, where African American Medicare beneficiaries maintained their weight loss through diet and exercise for a year with a significant change in health outcomes in A1cs, blood pressure, and lipids, and a behavioral telehealth project in the US Virgin Islands, working with the hospitals and FQHCs to identify providers during the territorial state of emergency.

Gwen graduated from the University of Phoenix summa cum laude with a Master of Health Administration and a Master of Business Administration. She holds advanced communications, critical thinking, and collaboration certifications, and a digital marketing certificate, a Bachelor of Science in Management, an Associate of Science in Fashion Design and Marketing. She successfully completed her doctorate in health administration with a rural health research focus in Fall 2026. She is an advisory member for the University of South Florida Muma College of Business Digital Marketing Program, a member of the National Rural Health Association, the American Public Health Association, and the National Society for Leadership and Success.

Gwen is a voracious reader and enjoys traveling, sightseeing, painting, home improvement projects, and designing (graphic, fashion and interior) and helping others. When not helping family and friends navigate the healthcare system, Gwen can be found living vicariously through her commercial pilot son and siblings’ culinary experiments.

Customer Relations Coordinator

Meghan Williams

Meghan Williams is the Customer Relations Coordinator for HomeTown Health University. Meghan joined the HTHU staff in May 2012 and is responsible for providing customer service support to HTHU Subscribers through traditional purchase agreements, grant provisions and individual enrollments. Meghan also assists the HTH team with social media efforts, website maintenance, promotional efforts and sales, educational course development and solutions.

After graduating from Early County High School in Blakely, GA, Meghan completed a B.A. in Speech Communications from the University of Georgia. Meghan’s career in healthcare began as a Human Resources Director in southwest Georgia where she was responsible for all aspects of employee relations, payroll/benefits, workers compensation, annual education development and training, as well as serving as the HIPAA Compliance Officer.

Director of Communications/Events

Susan Wiese

Susan joined HomeTown Health in June 2011 as Director of Communications. Since 2011, she has also assumed the responsibilities of Director of Events as well as Communications. She is primarily responsible for the various avenues of communications used to keep our members up-to-date on announcements, educational offerings and meetings scheduled. She also co-ordinates all aspects of live events, including workshops, CEO Day at the Capitol, annual conferences and special events, that are sponsored by HTH.

Susan and her husband, Larry live in Toccoa, GA and are the proud Nana and PopPop of Connor and Suzanna.

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