Kerry Trapnell was born and raised in small town Douglas, Ga., and today serves as Chief Administrative Officer for Aletheia Health Partners, a firm offering hospital management and strategic services to rural hospitals.
Within this role, Trapnell is currently serving as Interim CEO of Monroe County Hospital in Forsyth, Ga. To do this work for Monroe County and other small facilities like it, he works alongside hospital staff, driving financial turnarounds and helping implement revenue cycle improvements to help these facilities — and the communities they serve — thrive.
But for Trapnell, rural healthcare is about much more than numbers on a spreadsheet. “I’m from a small town and know that in rural communities, you’re not just treating patients — you’re taking care of friends, neighbors and family. That’s what makes my work meaningful,” says Trapnell.
Mentor Fosters Curiosity in Hospital Operations
Trapnell has spent more than a quarter century helping to sustain and revitalize rural hospitals. It’s a mission rooted in his early experiences growing up in a small community where his father was a preacher and pharmacist, his mother a teacher and his brother, a doctor.
When he turned 17, he started working after school at the local hospital. The Director of Nursing noticed his dedication and curiosity and encouraged him to explore the facility and learn about the various departments within the hospital. Later, while Trapnell was in college, this same mentor offered him a part-time job at a different hospital. There Trapnell worked closely with finance and operations leaders as well as physicians. He soon decided to commit to pursuing hospital leadership as a career.
Respect, Understanding of Rural Life Must Come First
Through Aletheia, Trapnell provides services to hospitals while respecting their autonomy and always taking into consideration their rural roots. This approach is different from what some rural hospitals have experienced working with other entities, such as large health systems, investment groups located in far away geographies or organizations that were primarily involved with non-healthcare industries.
Trapnell explains that most rural hospitals experience very similar problems, which could lead some to believe the solutions would also be similar. However, that’s not the case
“When you try to bring in cookie cutter solutions, they may not work in every community,” he explains. “We want the hospitals to represent their community. We want them to be seen as a respected and trusted cornerstone in their community. This is done by maintaining their autonomy and keeping major decisions local. We make decisions in the best interest of the hospital and community rather than another organization in another community or state. “
Finding the Solutions that Bring the Best Benefit
Relatedly, Aletheia’s customized approach to each partnership based on the individualized and unique qualities of each facility ensures decisions prioritize the hospital’s long-term sustainability.
Other steep challenges for rural hospitals are reimbursement rates. “Rural hospitals work harder for less reimbursement,” says Trapnell, noting that small facilities often lack the bargaining power of larger systems. To address this, Aletheia’s Data Analytics division digs into hospital data and contracts to find out what works and doesn’t work in order to negotiate better contracts.
“I take great pride in digging into the weeds of the problems and working with others to develop strategies to improve rural hospitals,” says Trapnell. “When you can improve rural hospitals, you can improve rural communities! I want to believe that every rural hospital can be saved, and I feel Aletheia is one of the best solutions to help make this happen.”
Looking to the future, Trapnell believes innovation and collaboration are key to sustaining rural healthcare. His service on the Advisory Board of the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center at Mercer University’s School of Medicine is an example of that commitment. Outside of work, Trapnell enjoys spending time with his wife and two college age children. Outside of his professional role, he has spent the past decade organizing fundraising initiatives with professional athletes for causes related to healthcare, education and faith-based programs.
About Aletheia Health Partners
Aletheia Health Partners helps rural hospitals become solid and strong so they can focus on what matters most: patient care. As a community-focused hospital management company, Aletheia Health Partners provides management and operations service modules including human resources, revenue cycle management, and pharmacy services – all with the goal of creating a path for rural hospitals to remain sustainable for the communities they serve. To learn more, visit https://aletheiahp.com.