Over the past 17 years, Jo Ann Parkman has been a pivotal member of the community healthcare scene. During her reign as Chairman of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Health Center, CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Health Center and most for the past 40 months, Paris Regional Medical Center, many positive changes have occurred. Now, having served as the Board Chair since 1996, she passed the gavel to close friend and PRMC Board Vice Chair, Bobby R. Walters last week.

PRMC’s Interim CEO, Richard Salerno said, “This community, and especially Paris Regional, is fortunate to have had someone with Jo Ann Parkman’s ability lead the organization through multiple transitions. She has been an asset to the Board, hospital leadership and certainly an advocate for quality patient care.”

“It has been my distinguished honor to serve as chair of the hospital’s board over these eleven years,” Parkman stated. “During this time, the Board has been faced with many challenges which have required tough decisions. The Board members have certainly stepped up to deal with each issue always working toward the betterment of the community in each instance.”

New PRMC Board Chair, Bobby Walters added, “Paris, Texas is a better place because of Jo Ann. She has tirelessly given of her time to untold scores of meetings, trips, phone calls and whatever it took to improve the healthcare of this community.”

Mrs. Parkman was presented a special appreciation gift by Walters on behalf of the Board and hospital leadership.

When asked what she saw as her greatest accomplishments during her years of services, she said working with a variety of hospital administrators, close association with physicians, nurses and the hospital staff will always be a special memory.

Parkman led a local contingency of Board members, Medical Staff, and hospital management to visit hospitals across the country owned by the finalists to acquire the former CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s. “The sale of CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Hospital System was a very emotional event for me, and many tears were shed,” she said.  “In my head, I knew it was the right thing to do…but in my heart, it was tough. To a person, we all felt the best option for the long-term future of Paris was Essent Healthcare and thus far, we’ve not been disappointed.”

Parkman returned to Paris in 1989 to serve as the district manager for TXU. Always a consummate community servant, it wasn’t long before she was sharing her love for her hometown. An extremely active Rotarian, she departs later this month to lead a group of local business leaders on a four-week Rotary Exchange Program to Switzerland.

While she will not miss the monthly board meetings and ‘in between’ meetings with hospital leadership, she noted, “I will continue to be a strong supporter of our hospital, and wish the very best for them in the future. I know Bobby will continue to lead our volunteer community board in the same fashion he led our junior college!”