Commission appoints Jody Thomas to fill hospital board seat through Dec. 31, 2026

The board interviewed Jody Thomas, who introduced herself as a Waverly resident with more than 40 years of experience in health care and nine years’ prior service on the Coffee County Hospital Board. Commissioners asked about her reasons for returning, experience with hospital finances, and plans to address community concerns about the hospital billing department and staff morale.

Thomas said she is committed to transparency, regular attendance and to applying her health‑care experience to support the hospital’s leadership. She acknowledged longstanding community complaints about billing, cited factors such as software and registration errors that can drive billing delays, and urged continued communication between the hospital and patients.

Following the interview, the commission moved to appoint Thomas to the hospital board to fill a vacancy through Dec. 31, 2026. The motion passed unanimously.

Quote: "I retired in 2022, and I just feel like I can bring something to health care, to our hospital," Thomas said.