After 40 years in healthcare with 33 of those at the helm of the Eye Clinic, PC, Raymond Kee is moving onto the next phase of his life, retirement. He was kind enough to sit down with West Tennessee Medical News to share some of his insight and experiences with us before his official departure on June 30.
Kee, a native of Crocket County, was a farm boy most of his early life and graduated from Gadsden High School in 1965. When his family moved to town, he met a sweet girl from Humboldt in the winter of 1965 and married her in 1966 while he was studying at Union University. To support his family, he worked full time on the second shift at the Alton Box Company while in school. After graduating in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he moved to the office at the box company as an administrative assistant and transferred to the Lexington, Kentucky office in 1971 but left in 1973.
“I was away from home working in Kentucky and we had two children, it was tough,” said Kee. “In the 1970s there was a wage freeze throughout the country and while I had gotten a raise, it was not commensurate with the work I was doing. I moved back home to Humboldt in late 1973 and decided to go in a different direction. Initially, that direction was indulging my love for squirrel and rabbit hunting but after a month I started interviewing.”
In less than a month, Kee was working with Humana as the Financial Manager of Gibson County General Hospital in Trenton. He transitioned to the assistant administrator position with Humana’s extended care program at the hospital then took over as the administrator for a doctor’s group affiliated with the hospital.
In late December, 1983, Kee was approached to interview for the administrator position with the Eye Clinic, PC in Jackson. “I interviewed on a Friday with Drs. House, Price, Herron and Woods in the office on Skyline Drive. The next morning, they called me and offered me the job,” said Kee. “I started February 1, 1984. In 2006, they added Chief Executive Officer to my title.”
With the bumpy road healthcare can be, one may wonder what kept Kee in it for so long. “Healthcare in general can be joyful when people are healed and then there are other times when people pass away. It is full of emotions and I have seen all of that in my career,” he said. “With the Eye Clinic, PC the doctors treat all types of disease and injuries to their eyes restoring eyesight, one of the most precious gifts God gives. I remember when I got my first pair of glasses at age 16 and how sharp and crisp things looked, it was almost like a miracle.”
Kee says it is a joy to be a part of all the clinic has done over his time there. “The eye care and surgery the Eye Clinic PC doctors provide is just amazing. With the technology that is available, we can replace lenses in cataract surgery allowing people to see clearly again,” he said. “It is one of the most rewarding and dramatic things people can have done.”
Kee advises young administrators learning the ropes, to develop their style of management and look to mentors to help them along the way. “You have got to like people and understand folks. Be empathetic when you need to be and straight forward and honest with people about what you expect from them,” he said. “Establish the direction and goals for your life and how you want to achieve them.”
As for mentors, Kee says he has had many that helped him shape his management style. “A lot of people impacted me throughout my career. Some were in the jobs I held while others were people I met through professional organizations,” he said. “It has been wonderful to have them share their leadership skills with me and I have tried to do that with others.”
Kee says it is always better to give than to receive by serving others whether it is a person on the street, a patient, family or co-worker. That should be the focal point we all have. As for work, it is important to be responsible, care about what you do and love doing it. Laugh, smile and be happy in what you do.”
As his time winds down at the Eye Clinic, PC Kee knew he would be leaving things in good hands. His successor, CPA Mickey Hannon, spent the past two months working with Kee to learn the ropes. “I have known Mickey for more than ten years,” said Kee. “He has done our accounting work and has some medical management background. I have been going to meetings with him as well as touring other practices to see how they are run and get ideas. We have also met referring doctors. He has asked a lot of questions and I know he is ready to step in.”
Retirement will mean settling into life on his farm and spending a lot of time with his three grandchildren. “We have one getting married this year and two that are involved in sports. I don’t plan on missing a game,” said Kee. “Both my wife and I come from large families, so spending time with them is high on my list.”
As Kee looks over his time at the Eye Clinic, PC he feels thankful. “The doctors and staff I have been fortunate enough to work with have been some of the most wonderful people in the world. They are all more like my family and I will miss not seeing them every day,” he said. “God has blessed me more than I deserve.”
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