Executive Director, West Tennessee Physicians Alliance
It is the dawn of a new era for the West Tennessee Physicians Alliance (WTPA) as long time Executive Director Tom Reed hands the reigns over to a fresh new face, Dustin Summers. With the changing of the guard, the Alliance, which has more than 100 doctors and more than 25 specialties, is looking to Summers, who has experience in healthcare policy and public health, to move the organization forward.
Summers, a native of Paris, Tenn., always knew healthcare was in the cards for him; however it was not until he arrived in Washington D.C. for graduate school that he found his niche – healthcare systems and community health. “I graduated from the University of Tennessee-Martin, then moved to Washington, DC, by way of Nashville, to pursue a master’s degree in public health at George Washington University with a focus on global health,” said Summers. “Although I was primarily studying what was happening in Africa and Asia, there were many parallels to what we see in the South and other rural areas of the United States. While in school, I also worked in a variety of capacities at organizations that focused on various aspects of healthcare, and along the way, I was able to develop the organizational management skills that I believe will be an asset to the WTPA. When the opportunity to return to West Tennessee became available, I jumped at the chance to take on this new challenge.”
Taking over as executive director for WTPA, allows Summers to pull from his experiences in the non-profit field as well as development and fundraising. “I have had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of people from all across the country, and a large portion of my professional background has been shaped by experiences that have allowed me to develop both external and internal communication skills. I also feel that I have an understanding as to how overarching health policies can affect practitioners and hospitals at the community level.”
Summers also recognizes the value of the expertise already in place at the WTPA. “I know working with Tom through the end of May is a huge benefit to me as he has such a wealth of knowledge regarding the local medical community. The clinical administrators I get to work with through the Alliance also made this job very attractive to me.”
As the only employee of WTPA, Summers role is to work closely with the organization’s Board of Directors, which is comprised of six physicians and for the first time in the 30-year history of the Alliance, a clinical administrator. He also serves as an advocate for the member physicians and clinics with hospitals, insurance companies and the community. His health policy background allows him to serve as a resource for healthcare policy changes that may be coming on the state and national level.
Summers sees his biggest challenge in the degree of national uncertainty surrounding healthcare reform. “The last five years have seen a major change in the way healthcare will be delivered and accessed in the future. One of the greatest challenges will be found in how we as an organization navigate those waters and provide quality and affordable care to the community. This is a challenge for all medical practitioners and healthcare organizations. However, I am confident that the WTPA will only strengthen its presence in this regard throughout the area, region and state.”
As he becomes immersed in his new job, Summers wants to increase the presence WTPA has, not only in Jackson, but across West Tennessee. “I want to build our presence as a healthcare network,” said Summers. “I am hoping to immediately improve the coordination and communication within our organization and between the WTPA and the Jackson community. The strength of our organization is in the individual doctors and clinics that comprise the WTPA. With over 100 physicians representing over 25 medical specialties, we cover everything from primary care to advanced specialization. As the WTPA grows and develops, I hope that we will be able to position ourselves as an organization that represents quality care and dependable service throughout Jackson and West Tennessee.”
For Summers, relocating to West Tennessee is coming home. With his parents, three brothers, niece and nephew just a few hours away in Paris, he is enjoying spending time with them. An avid baseball fan who played all four years in college, Summers plans to take in as many Jackson General games he can.
“When I moved to DC, I knew no one. I worked a fulltime job while going to graduate school, and I did my best to make the most of my experience,” said Summers. “In a very short amount of time, I was able to have many unique opportunities and to be involved in things I never even dreamed possible while growing up in Paris. All of those experiences led me to be the Executive Director for an outstanding organization that I think I can have an even greater impact on healthcare in Jackson and throughout West Tennessee.”
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