WTH Board selects Prescott as new CEO

In the wake of the passing of CEO/President James “JR” Ross, the West Tennessee Healthcare Board of Directors moved in their monthly meeting to put another person into that leadership role for the system.

Tina Prescott, who’s come up through the nursing program since joining West Tennessee Healthcare nearly three decades ago, was a trusted member of Ross’ leadership team as the chief operating officer.

According to Board member and past chairman Phil Bryant, Ross put the succession plan together if he were to pass, and his recommendation to the Board was to make Prescott the next leader for West Tennessee Healthcare.

“Everyone knows this has been a difficult couple of weeks with the loss of JR, and we’ve shed a lot of tears and laughs thinking about the funny things he said and did,” Bryant said when beginning his remarks at the Board meeting Tuesday evening. “I can’t come up with the words to thank JR for his service to this organization.

“But he expected us to carry on as charged, and we are honoring that tonight.”

Bryant said Ross loved West Tennessee Healthcare and knew better than anyone the type of person it takes to lead an organization this big with 7,500 employees.

“JR recommended to us that Tina Prescott succeed him as CEO,” Bryant said. “She’s been here 20 years, and this Board has had the opportunity to watch her grow from chief nurse officer to chief operating officer.

“I’ve told the Board privately, and I’ll say publicly how proud I am of her and how she’s grown since being named chief executive officer and how she’s stepped up big time in the last couple years as JR has been ill in many different ways to help in JR’s place. It’s my honor and privilege now to recommend that we adopt the resolution making Tina our new president and chief executive officer of West Tennessee Healthcare.”

The motion was passed unanimously, and everyone in the boardroom gave Prescott a standing ovation in welcoming her to her new position.

“The first thing I’ll do is pull a JR and say that’s enough of that,” Prescott said. “It’s been a difficult couple weeks as we’ve dealt with his passing, but I’m honored the Board would approve me for this role.

“I was proud to be a part of his leadership team. He loved each and every one of us and held us accountable, and we loved him for that.

“We’ve got a great team of more than 7,500 people here who put aside their own personal issues every day they come to work for the good of those who come into our doors needing our help. And we’ll continue to do that going forward.”

Brandon Shields, brandon@jacksonpost.news