Chickasha, OK ? ? ?

Good Monday afternoon everyone! I hope this finds each of you well, and having a great start to your day and week!

Recently I accepted a position with Southern Plains Medical Group, again thank you to the thousands that sent messages congratulating the new opportunity. This is a position that I had been speaking about with CEO Len Lacefield for a couple of months before we agreed that I would come on board as the Vice President of Business Development for the clinics and really health system.

Prior to joining SPMG, and over the last couple of years, I had been working as a business consultant for a couple of companies, as well still steering our mixed martial arts companies; Crusade Combat, and Camp Crusade. By doing so, I was able to be at home the majority of my wife's pregnancy, as well, almost the first two years of my son's life. This time was absolutely invaluable to me, and the relationship I was able to forge with my young son, I wouldn't take back for all the money/opportunity in the world.

When we decided to make the move from Texas to Oklahoma to get closer to family, and to essentially come back home, (My wife from Norman, and I was born in Altus, then spent my high school years, just south of the Red River in Bowie, TX)  I knew that I wanted to get involved in the community, and wanted to again be active in said community, daily.

Over the last couple of years, I was pretty removed from the mma community and not attending live fights, and or staying all day/night at the gym anymore. I felt the best way to impact the community was to be involved in healthcare as I have been over the last decade in some capacity. On both sides of the Red River, there is a large rural health population that is very underserved. Rising healthcare costs in insurance and pharmaceuticals, alongside a down economy due to lower oil prices and less manufacturing, the negative health effects and the rate at which they were and are growing is just staggering. So I began to seek ways in which I could help the quality of care that is provided to Southwest Oklahoma. In early August, I connected with CEO of Southern Plains, Len Lacefield, and with our very first conversation I knew I had found someone with the same passion as I had. To bring the future of medicine and the quality of care deserved, to this part of the country.

Southern Plains Medical Center was established in Chickasha, OK in 1915, and has been servicing Grady and Caddo counties ever since. Over the last 10 years or so, a few things have happened and along with the affordable care act, some changes occurred and the perception of the clinic went from a great loving healthcare facility in the community, to almost a lack there of. To the point over the last two years Len has been at SPMC, he has really been fighting the mistakes of past administrations. He does so with a smile and loving attitude, even though he still hasn't gotten the chance to fully implement his vision for this facility. That vision is the reason why I decided to stop consulting and join the front lines of providing healthcare to Chickasha and surrounding communities. Obviously I can't fully divulge our LRP, but I can say that the vision and the excitement that it invoked in me, is going to change healthcare here in rural Oklahoma and hopefully with an even further reach as well.

Over the last two weeks, I have had the pleasure of being interviewed both by local media and as well national healthcare media, and also by my friends...lol. The most common question has been why Chickasha? I'll admit Chickasha, OK is far from Dallas, Atlanta, and Seattle where I have spent most of my time in work experience. For me, it was a chance to come home. Being born South West of here in Altus, OK, my family the Harkins family owned and operated over 20 dairy queens in Oklahoma. Uncles are attorneys, and law men either Sherriff's department or local PDs in Oklahoma. We are an enrolled Choctaw Tribal family (the Choctaw Nation is headquartered in Durant, OK) and in high school although I was on the other side of the Red River my address growing up was highway 81 North, Bowie, TX 76230. Highway 81 turns into 4th street here in downtown Chickasha. We wanted our family to experience the same freedoms that we had growing up, to experience a loving rural community, where people take the time to get to know you and genuinely care for your well being. I wanted my son to get to play outside and have his time measured by the neighborhood street lights, to drink out of the hose after a neighborhood football game or hide-n-seek.

At the top of my reasons for why Chickasha? I found an opportunity and an administrator, which and whom was passionate about the people in their community. Whom wanted to do nothing but help and save lives. I'm honored that the city of Chickasha, OK, and the people here at Southern Plains Medical would have me and allow me the opportunity to work on their behalf to create a better way of taking care of people. We are close to releasing to the public and our communities of Grady and Caddo county a better way of doing things, an affordable way of providing care, and making it accessible to all. Truly accessible, not thousands of dollars each month, and having to reach an average $6k deductible.

In closing, I wanted to take the time to address all healthcare providers in my network. A network of close to 30,000 followers/connections, of which at least half are in healthcare and a lot here in Oklahoma. We are looking for a few dedicated professionals, starting with Family Practice/ Internal Medicine Physician Assistants and or Nurse Practitioners. We have some really cool and excited things happening here at SPMC, which will include upgrades to our facility, as well in ways in which we touch and communicate with our community. Other medical providers if you are interested in getting back to the true scope of practicing medicine and providing care, please reach out to me, I would love to speak to you to see if there is a way we can work together and or benefit each other. Please call our Chickasha multi discipline clinic at (405) 224-8111 and or shoot me an email at [email protected]. Please only healthcare related inquiries to this email, all others will be deleted and or ignored. At the time I am not working with recruitment firms, and at the time we do decide to branch out in that direction, I more or less have identified the companies in which I will work.