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This week we’re having a conversation with Evalyn Ormand, CEO at Union General Hospital in Farmerville, LA.  Farmerville is in the northeast part of Louisiana, about 25 miles from the Arkansas border.  This year marks Evalyn’s 40th year in healthcare administration.  During those 40 years, she has served two rural hospitals, approximately 20 miles apart.

“Don’t swallow a camel and gag on a gnat.” 

The first hospital she started her career was at Shirlington Memorial Hospital in Shirlington, LA.  Shirlington Memorial was started in the ’60s by a physician and his wife who was an RN.  They worked together until he died unexpectedly.  Their two sons returned after his death and one took over the hospital as the administrator, the other was the doctor.  They hired Evalyn to work in administration.

Evalyn started her journey as an administrative assistant, bookkeeper, payroll clerk, insurance clerk and any other job that he needed to be done. There were two women in administration, Evalyn and another, and they ran the entire business office.

Ten years later, Evalyn was promoted to CEO.

Shirlington Memorial was taken over by a larger facility who then asked Evalyn if she would consider filling the position as CEO for both Shirlington Memorial and Union General.  For over seven years, she would spend the morning at one hospital and the afternoon in the other hospital.  Shirlington Memorial ended up closing, and Evalyn has been CEO of Union General for the past 25 years.