News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cookeville Regional Board of Trustees elected Cookeville Mayor Laurin Wheaton as the new trustee chair Thursday.
Former Chairman Cheryl Sandlin introduced Wheaton after the board unanimously approved the election. Wheaton thanked Sandlin for her time by gifting her a gavel.
“First of all I definitely want to thank you for being a chairman,” Wheaton said. “I am excited to follow in your footsteps. You have been an amazing chairman. I think that we have all learned so much from you and I’m glad you are still sticking around because I’m going to have to bother you with questions and things like that.”
Wheaton is a nurse practitioner and her first passion was healthcare. Danny Rader was elected as Secretary and Vice-Chairman.
Wheaton said she is excited to serve as chairman for an award-winning hospital.
“Absolute wonderful hospital,” Wheaton said. “Top notch, you heard me talk about the awards we just recently received. This hospital is about the community. I’ve worked for larger hospitals before and getting to be a part of this hospital where we are sitting down and making decisions right here in the board room for this community. You can’t get that anywhere else.”
Wheaton said her goal as chairman is to continue providing quality and accessible care to the entire Upper Cumberland.
“Having access to healthcare for this community has always been a priority of mine whether it has been serving on the city council or whether it has been serving the community and the patients that I see,” Wheaton said. “So making sure that we’ve got great service lines which we already do have. We are providing excellent care. We are making sure we are taking care of the entire Upper Cumberland because that is our patient population. That is who comes to see us, so making sure that we are providing good quality care and accessible healthcare is going to be some of my biggest priorities.”
The board of trustees also held elections for Officers and an Executive Committee member. Cheryl Sandlin will serve as past Chairman. Buffy Key was elected as treasurer. Dr. Joe Jestus elected as the Executive Committee Member. D.O. Bert Geer is the only new member of the Board of Trustees.
