JACKSON MADISON COUNTY 

AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Amy H. Elizer, EdD

Dr. Amy Hastings Elizer works for The University of Tennessee Extension Service in Madison County as Extension Agent and County Director. While her educational background includes home economics, her real passion for helping people improve their lives by teaching them about healthful choices and cooking techniques occurred when her son was working to lose weight as a 7th grader. In addition to teaching classes, she coordinates the Walk Across Tennessee walking challenge. She is also an adjunct nutrition instructor at Jackson State Community College.

Gregory E. Huff, MD Dr. Greg Huff is presently employed a hospitalist at Jackson Madison County General Hospital. He is a graduate of Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, and University of Tennessee in Knoxville.   He is an engaging and knowledgeable orator who has offered informative information on high blood pressure at T. R. White Health Fair, medical and historical information at the NAACP AIDS Awareness Program and health awareness at Historic First Baptist Family and Friends Day.  Dr. Huff is a member of Historic First Baptist Church, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the NAACP, and 100 Black Men of West Tennessee in Jackson.   He is married to LaTarsha E. Hanna-Huff and has two children – Ami Hanna-Huff and Jeffrey Hanna-Huff.
Joe Rowland, MD Dr. Joseph P. Rowland has served Jackson and the surrounding area for more than 50 years.  A 1959 graduate of the College of Medicine at University of Tennessee Health Science Center, he started the Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Jackson which later evolved into the present day West Tennessee Neurosciences center.  The WT Neuroscience Center has three Neurosurgeons, seven Neurologists, and one Neuropsychologist.  During his years of service as a board certified Neurosurgeon, he worked tirelessly to care for patients of all ages.  Always professional, he provided excellent care with great compassion for every patient.
Keith Micetich, MD Dr. Keith Micetich received his medical training from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His internship was at Charles Camsell General Hospital in Edmonton and his residency was at the University of Alberta. He practiced for seven years at H.R. Uretsky and Associates in Edmonton before moving to Jackson.  He opened Jackson Regional Women’s Center in 1995. He and his family live in Humboldt. He has served on the Medical Advisory/Executive Committee, Head of the Gynecology Department at the hospital and is presently on the hospital Board of Directors.
Lowell Stonecipher, MD Dr. Lowell F. Stonecipher founded West Tennessee Bone & Joint Clinic, P.C. main location in Jackson in 1973.  Today, they celebrate 40 years of providing orthopedic excellence and sports medicine to area residents in the Central West Tennessee area.  A lot of things have changed since he began his practice in 1983, including the way that procedures are done.  A graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, he finished his internship and residency at Greenville Memorial Medical Center.  He was recently inducted into the Southeastern Beefmaster Breeders Association’s 2013 Hall of Fame.
Lance Spalding, MD Dr. Alanson Spalding III specializes in Cardiothoracic Surgery.  He obtained his medical degree at the University of Oklahoma Medical School and conducted his residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  He began private practice in 1980 and relocated to Jackson to join the Cardiothoracic Surgery Center in 1983.  A member of the American College of Surgeons, he is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.
Clyde Smith, MD Dr. Clyde E. Smith is an active medical oncologist/hematologist who has been providing cancer services in the West Tennessee community since 1979.  He is part of an elite group of physicians certified in Hospice and Palliative Care.  He graduated medical school in 1974 from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Medicine and subsequent completed his internship, residency and fellowship training there at UT Medical School as well. Dr. Smith serves as the medical director of Hospice of West Tennessee and the palliative care services of West Tennessee Healthcare.
Kathy Woolfork, RN, CDE Kathy Woolfork graduated from Union University in 1974 and received her Bachelor of Since in Nursing from the University of Memphis in 1987.  Kathy has worked for West Tennessee Healthcare for 40 years.  She has been a Diabetic Educator for 25 years and has been a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) for 20 years. She is the wife of Madison County Sheriff David Woolfork and they have two children.
Annette Wilson Annette Wilson is the Administrator for Coordinated School Health and the School Nurse Program in the Jackson-Madison County Schools where she has worked for 13 years.   She holds a BS from Union University and a Master’s degree from Bethel University.  She has worked in various settings including hospitals, clinics, homecare, public health and schools.  Most recently, she was named a national champion for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to assist other school districts and communities in creating a healthier school and community environment.  She serves on the advisory boards for Jackson State Community College’s Allied Health program, TennderCare, and the Jackson-Madison County Anti-Drug Coalition.  In addition to co-chairing the Jumpstart Jackson Community Health Council, she serves on the TN Obesity Task Force, TN Asthma Task Force and various other community organizations and often speaks at national conferences on these issues and on school health.   Married with two daughters and one grandson, she is also actively involved with Kiwanis Club of Jackson.
Lane Williams, MD Dr. Lane Williams is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. He is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He and his family moved to Jackson from Sycamore, Ill., where he had practiced for five years. Before that, he practiced obstetrics and gynecology for six years in Clinton, Iowa. He has served the West Tennessee area since 2005 joining Jackson Regional Women’s Center in October 2006. He specializes in all areas of women’s healthcare needs.
Donna Willis, NP Donna Willis has lived her entire life in Jackson, Tenn.  She attended Northside High School and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Union University and her Masters of Science in Nursing from Drexel University in Philadelphia.  She has been a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner for more than 30 years.  Previously a foster mom for 15 years, she is a past member of the Madison County Foster Parents Association, Browns Ruritan Club, Jackson Central Merry PTO, and Jackson Christian School Booster Board as well as the boards of Madison North Baseball Association and WRAP. She currently serves on the Birth Choice board of directors, participates in Relay for Life and is a member of the Ovarian Cancer Alliance.
Henry West, MD Dr. Henry Earl West was born in Houston and spent his early years in Nacogdoches, TX before moving back to Houston. He received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry in 1993 from Texas A&M, and then went on to the University of Houston where he received a Master of Science in Biochemistry in 1997.   He worked in research in the Texas Medical Center for a couple of years before deciding to attend medical school.  In 2004, he graduated cum laude from Meharry Medical College and was immediately accepted into Meharry’s Ob/Gyn Residency Program.  In 2008, he and his family moved to Jackson where he has been a physician at West TN OB/GYN Services for over five years.   He currently lives in the community with his lovely wife of 17 years, Cynthia, and 14 year-old son, Zachary.

Celebrities for the Day - 2013 Follow Me Golf Classic

health care professionals


During the Third Annual Follow Me Celebrity Golf Classic held September 10, 2013, we recognized 18 health care professionals in conjunction with West Tennessee Healthcare.  This presentation was a continuation of the previous year's effort recognizing first responders as part the tournament which was held on September 11, 2012.  We thank these professionals for the tremendous time, talent and dedication to citizens of Jackson and Madison County (TN). It is our pleasure to salute this diverse group of doctors, nurses and health educators.   See profiles of honorees below.




 






 
  
  
  


Adeyinka Agbetoyin, MD A British Nigerian, Dr. Adey Agbetoyin is board certified in cardiovascular disease.  He earned his medical degree at Minsk State Medical Institute in the Republic of Belarus in 1992.  He conducted his postgraduate training in internal medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in Newark followed by a cardiology fellowship at Seton Hall University, St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark and St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Paterson, NJ.  Before joining the West Tennessee Healthcare staff in 2003, he was an Emergency Department attending physician at the UMDNJ and house physician in the cardiac unit at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Passaic General Hospital in New Jersey.  He is a member of the American College of Cardiology.
Mandy Braswell, NP Mandy Braswell is a pediatric nurse practitioner who graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2006 and from Vanderbilt University with a Masters of Science in Nursing in 2007.  She has been working in the School Health Clinic at Jackson Careers Technology Magnet Elementary School since October 2009.   In 2010, she went on a medical mission trip to Honduras.  She is a regular participant in community health fairs and “Back to School” community events.  She is married to Anthony Braswell and they have two boys, Ivan and Nolan.
Vernessa Davis-Tharpe, MD Dr. Vernessa Davis-Tharpe has 28 years experience and practices in Pediatrics.  A Patient’s Choice Award winner (2009), she earned her medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine in 1985.  From her office at the East Jackson Medical Center at 655 Lexington, she has reduced morbidity among the children in the community by making pediatric care accessible to the underserved. For the past several years, she has participated in Operation Hope doing physicals for those entering school (kindergarten, pre-K and transfers) and for children who need clearance to participate in sports, such as the Tigrett cheerleading squad.  She is a member of the medical advisory board of the Lift Center and she speaks often to community groups, churches and in schools.
Tina Prescott, RN
Tina Prescott is originally from Middleton, Tenn. She came to Jackson and joined West Tennessee Healthcare in 1996 as a Registered Nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit.  Sine then, she has held the position of Clinical Manager and Director of SCU and Administrator of Camden General Hospital.  In 2007, she was named Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer of Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.  She is a graduate of Union University where she received her BSN and MBA.  She is responsible for the West Tennessee Women’s Center, Ayers Children’s Medical Center (Therapy and Learning Center), all Inpatient and Outpatient Nursing Units, Patient Care Standards, Clinical Development, Staffing/Patient Flow, Emergency Department, Surgical Services, WT Surgery Center, Anesthesia, GI Lab/Skyline Endoscopy, and Pre-Admission. She is married to James Prescott and they have three children – Lilly, Lane and Leah.

Celebrities for the Day - 2014 Follow Me Golf Classic

EDUCATION

During the opening program on Tuesday, September 9, 2014 at Bent Tree Golf Course, the Jackson Madison County African American Chamber of Commerce, co-chairs and event sponsors recognized Celebrities in Education during the opening program.   Presented with awards and certificates were Coach DaMonn Fuller and the Hawks of South Side High School, 2013-14. Also recognized were: Dr. Logan C. Hampton, the 10th president of Lane College; Dr. Samuel W. Oliver, the 16th president of Union University (who was represented by Athletic Director Tommy Sadler); Dr. Niles Reddick, the vice-provost of the University of Memphis Lambuth Campus; and Dr. Thomas Rakes, the ninth chancellor of The University of Tennessee at Martin who has held that position since 2007.   The other three -- Hampton, Oliver and Reddick are newcomers to Tennessee, having been selected to their positions just this year.   
Louis E. Cunningham, MD A Jackson native, Dr. Louis Cunningham founded Mid-South Heart Center in 1993.  He received his undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Lane College in 1973.  He is a graduate of Meharry Medical College where he served as an assistant professor.  Dr. Cunningham completed his cardiology fellowship at Harlem Hospital in New York.  He is a Board Certified Specialist in the field of cardiovascular disease and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.  His office is located at 48 Medical Center Drive in Jackson, TN. 
Clarence Gooch, MD Born in Humboldt, TN, Dr. Clarence Terry Cooch earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biology from Tennessee State University.  After earning his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in 1976, he interned at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis and conducted his OB-GYN residency at Max C. Starkloff Hospital also in St. Louis.  He opened his solo practice, Jackson OB-GYN Associates, at 8 Medical Center Drive in 1980. He is an active staff member at Jackson Madison County General and a courtesy staff member at Regional Hospital of Jackson.  He is a member of the American Medical Association, Tennessee Medical Association, National Medical Association, Volunteer Medical Association and the M.V. Lynk Medical Society.  He is married and has two children.