Bill Text: MS SC622 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognize Stephen Reynolds, President/CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care, on his contributions to health care.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2014-03-27 - Enrolled Bill Signed [SC622 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2014-SC622-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2014 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Parker
Senate Concurrent Resolution 622
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING STEPHEN C. REYNOLDS, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BAPTIST MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE, FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT.
WHEREAS, Stephen C. Reynolds, President and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care, recently announced that after 44 years of service, he is retiring in May. Throughout his career, he has been highly regarded in the national, regional and local business and health care communities for both his amazing accomplishments and his tremendous personal character. Under his guidance, Baptist Memorial has grown to become the Memphis area's largest not-for-profit health care system and one of the top-rated integrated health care delivery systems in the country. He has achieved these goals while keeping the organization true to its not-for-profit mission, which mirrors the threefold ministry of Christ — preaching, teaching and healing; and
WHEREAS, after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree from Arkansas State University, Reynolds earned his Master of Health Administration degree from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He then served as an Officer in the United States Army; and
WHEREAS, in 1971, he was hand-picked to serve as an Administrative Resident at Baptist Medical Center in Memphis. He held a number of leadership positions for 23 years before he was tapped to lead the organization in 1994. For the past 20 years, Reynolds has overseen a complex and far-reaching health care system at Baptist Memorial — one that includes 14 hospitals in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, as well as minor medical centers, home care and hospice programs, behavioral health centers, clinics and a number of other entities; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure, Baptist has added many advanced services and facilities to serve the Mid-South. In 2009, Baptist formed a physician group called Baptist Medical Group. Within the past five years, the group has grown to include 550 physicians from a number of specialties — from primary care to cardiovascular surgery — and today, it is one of the Memphis area's largest physician groups; and
WHEREAS, under Reynolds' leadership, Baptist Memorial built two additional metro-Memphis hospitals — including one of the nation's few women's hospitals — as well as the Memphis area's first residential hospice facility and a Cancer Center at Baptist Union City. In 1995, the Baptist College of Health Sciences was established under his leadership, and to date, has prepared more than 1,000 people to enter health care careers. Construction is underway on a new Pediatric Emergency Department at the Baptist Women's Hospital as well as the Mid-South's first integrated Cancer Center. Both facilities will be located on Baptist Memorial's flagship campus in Memphis. He also oversaw one of the largest health care building projects in Arkansas' history, the construction of the new NEA Baptist Health System. Opened in January, it includes a new NEA Baptist Hospital, the Fowler Family Center for Cancer Care and the headquarters of the NEA Baptist Clinic, one of Northeast Arkansas' largest physician groups; and
WHEREAS, in Mississippi, Baptist has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into its five affiliate hospitals, building new patient towers at Baptist DeSoto in Southaven and Baptist Golden Triangle in Columbus, a new Cancer Center at Baptist North Mississippi and a new Behavioral Health Facility at Baptist Golden Triangle. Work is underway on a replacement hospital in Oxford and a new emergency department at Baptist Union County in New Albany. Baptist also renewed its commitment to community service under Reynolds' leadership. In 2003, Baptist established its signature community outreach program: the Baptist Operation Outreach Mobile Health Care Clinic for the Homeless. The program is a partnership between Baptist and Christ Community Health Services — which Baptist founded more than 25 years ago — and because of it, Baptist is Memphis' largest homeless health care provider; and
WHEREAS, Baptist is also our region's largest TennCare provider, proving the organization's hospitals continue to treat a number of underserved patients. In 2012, Baptist contributed $229 Million in community benefit to the Mid-South, including $1.7 Million in care for Church Health Center patients. Not long after making the difficult decision to close Baptist Memorial's original downtown hospital campus, Reynolds approved the donation of that property and land, conservatively estimated at $80 Million, to the University of Tennessee and the Memphis Bioworks Foundation. The largest gift in UT's history, the donation also paved the way for the development of a biotech industry in Memphis and the revitalization of Memphis' medical center district; and
WHEREAS, Reynolds' personal achievements rival his professional accomplishments. He has chaired a number of regional and national health care organizations, including the Tennessee Hospital Association, CEOs Against Cancer, the Healthcare Institute, the National Quality Forum's National Patient Safety Task Force, and the National Committee for Quality Health Care. Locally, Reynolds is a past Chairman of the Board of the Memphis-area Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, Memphis Chapter of the American Heart Association, Dixon Gallery and Gardens and Memphis Tomorrow. Currently, he is Board Secretary of Ducks Unlimited, Inc., and serves on the University of Memphis Board of Visitors and the Boards of Trezevant Manor, Memphis Tomorrow and Dixon Gallery and Gardens; and
WHEREAS, the Tennessee Hospital Association, the American College of Health Care Executives, Washington University School of Medicine, B'nai B'rith, Arkansas State University, the Arkansas State University School of Business, Arkansas State University's Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, Rotary International and the Boy Scouts of America have recognized Reynolds for his leadership in the health care industry. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate from Union University; and
WHEREAS, for the past 20 years, Stephen Reynolds has made significant contributions to the local, regional and national health care community through hard work, innovation and keen business sense. Baptist Memorial has brought high-quality health care and financial stability to areas throughout the Mid-South. According to a 2013 University of Memphis study, Baptist has a total economic impact of $2.6 Billion on the communities it serves. Baptist has long been a health care pioneer, bringing much-needed services to the Mid-South throughout its 101-year history. That tradition has continued under Reynolds' leadership:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize Stephen C. Reynolds, President and CEO of Baptist Memorial Health Care, for his significant contributions to the local, regional and national health care community and for his legacy of leadership and civic energy, and extend to Stephen and his family our best wishes on this auspicious occasion.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Stephen Reynolds, forwarded to the Board of Trustees of Baptist Memorial Health Care and the State Board of Health, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.
