ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

Savannah healthcare provider transforms business to provide COVID-related testing and vaccinations in a time of need.

Scott Pierce ‘85 and his wife, Amy, are the owners of Coastal Care Partners, a nurse-managed aging services company whose mission is to help people remain at home despite end-of-life health care issues. The business grew out of Scott’s struggle to manage his father’s care remotely. He kept thinking there had to be a better way. When he and Amy realized there wasn’t one, they decided to create one. Scott managed the business side, and Amy, a registered nurse, handled care management. Over four years, the business has grown to employ over 100 people and handles every aspect of aging-life needs as well as concierge medicine. They also own My Nurse Now, a mobile urgent care service.

There were multiple SCDS connections that helped bring the vaccine to Savannah and then eventually to Country Day. Can you explain how that happened?

Dr. Jason Conley (parent of Anna and Taylor, class of 2023), pharmacist and owner of Village Walk and Lo Cost Pharmacies, is responsible for starting the vaccination clinic at Village Walk. In early November 2020, he told me he was doing all he could to get the vaccine. He applied for it, invested in the freezer needed to store it properly, and secured space for the clinic. The Lewis family donated the space that formerly was the Hallmark Store. But as it got closer to delivery time, Jason realized he could use some help rolling it out, and Amy and I immediately volunteered to be part of the effort. I had recently purchased some technology that enabled online scheduling so I built out www.healthyskidaway.com where people could sign up for the vaccine. Amy scheduled the clinical volunteers to assist with administering the shots and running the clinic. We had an amazing turnout of retired doctors and nurses, many of them part of the SCDS community, who wanted to help! January 12, 2021, was our opening day, and we vaccinated about 60 people. It was very emotional; there were tears of joy and relief. Since then, we have vaccinated more than 12,000 people at that location, and our volunteer partnership with Jason continues. We help schedule some of his events, and he houses our vaccines in his ultra-cold freezer. You put together the first on-site vaccination clinic in Savannah at Country Day. What did it mean to you to be such an integral part of keeping our community safe and knowing that it was helping keep kids in school?

We were excited about the first teacher clinic, the brainchild of Kate Bailey, SCDS School Nurse and wife of Marc Bailey ‘90. Until that point, no one had vaccinated specific groups outside of places like nursing homes and long-term care communities, so it was definitely uncharted territory. We all wanted to vaccinate all educators, but being able to start with the most vulnerable population of 65+ let us ease into it. About three or four days after the media publicized our Country Day event, we got a call from the lead nurse for all of Chatham County Schools applauding the event and eager to work with us to start vaccinating their 65 and older teachers. It was a great feeling knowing that Country Day was the trailblazer for this. We got a lot of “thank yous” from the teachers, and that meant a lot.

As guidelines have shifted, we’ve gone on to offer vaccinations to all teachers and students 12 and older, and we even helped with Covid testing before the Junior-Senior prom this year. Helping the kids get back to normal and fun things like prom was meaningful. Some people don’t like change, but you seem to embrace it, and it’s led to an interesting career path. Can you elaborate?

The summer before 9th grade, a family friend mentioned I should consider Country Day. We talked about it as a family and decided it would be a good fit, but I don’t remember it being a huge deal. It was a really easy transition. The same could be said for my entry into journalism. My dad joined WJCL in 1972, so I basically grew up at the TV station. I worked there during summers in high school, and then when I was a junior at Georgia Southern, I anchored Statesboro’s first local newscast, Northland 3 Cable News. After graduation, I went to work as a reporter and then an anchor at WJCL. The nights and weekends started to wear on my family, though; my wife at the time was also working full time, and we had young children. Just as I was thinking about a career change, I met Hart Williford, and he kept talking about HO Systems. When I expressed, an interest, he made me a job offer. That’s how I got into the world of software and technology. That experience led to another great opportunity in Atlanta at Ingenius Med, a startup medical technology company. In 2016 my dad got sick and I met Amy, both of whom were living in Savannah, and I realized it was time for another change -- a move home and a new business. Amy was a nurse with Hospice at the time, so she understood the dilemma I, and many other families, faced with managing care for your loved ones. Addressing that need led to the birth of Coastal Care Partners in 2017. Leaving one career for another and starting a business requires confidence and some of mine came from Country Day. There were many times we were put on the spot and required to stand up in front of the class to speak or present, and I think that has served me well. What do you appreciate about Country Day now that your children are students?

I loved my time at County Day. I ran track and played basketball for Coach Kirkley. My senior year I was All-City Basketball. Those are great memories. I made so many friends that I still keep up with today; many of their children are in school with my children. And my class had such a great variety. There were kids going to top schools and others that took time off to go travel. The fairly small class size meant you knew everybody, and I think that’s why we connected so deeply. At the time, I didn’t always appreciate the teachers, but I think they prepared me very well. Mrs. Harper’s 300 words a week certainly helped my vocabulary! I tell our kids they’re lucky to go there. It’s not only a great school, it’s a great environment. There are so many activities and choices. I think Country Day really takes it to the next level in terms of challenging kids to think in ways that expand their minds.