COMING HOME Jeff Brannon returns to Geneva County as CEO of Wiregrass Medical Center
Jeff Brannon loves rural America, and he loves Geneva County. Born and raised in Hartford, he jumped at the opportunity to become the CEO of Wiregrass Medical Center in Geneva. “I don’t want to sound like Bear Bryant, but mama called, so I came home,” he says. Brannon, who has worked in the medical field for more than 30 years, became the CEO of Wiregrass Medical Center in July 2017. He is passionate about helping people, which is why he chose to work in the medical field. And he felt it was time for him to aid the people in his community. “Jeff has done an outstanding job in his first year at Wiregrass Medical Center,” 6 FEBRUARY 2019
says Wiregrass Electric Cooperative Chief Operating Officer Brad Kimbro. “Geneva County is fortunate to have such a highquality hospital to serve the region, and it is even more fortunate to have a man like Jeff leading the way. He cares about the community and the people who live in it.” Wiregrass Medical Center employs 325 people, including 11 physicians and 125 nurses. The health care campus features the main hospital, a senior care unit and a 96-bed nursing home. While the hospital is a vital resource to Geneva County, rural hospitals do have their share of struggles. Brannon’s goal is to improve the quality of care in the community. “We want to make sure we are rep-
resenting the community in a positive light,” Brannon says. “We want people to believe in what we do and to know they’re going to be taken care of when they come here.”
A passion for helping
Brannon began his medical career as a nurse, but his passion for caring for people started much earlier. “My brother was in health care on the business side, and he told me that he thought I should be a nurse because he had seen my care for people. He thought I was compassionate,” Brannon says. “Back in that time, there were not a lot of male nurses. I’ve been a nurse now for 33 years.” www.alabamaliving.coop
