NMMC-Eupora names new administrator

K. Michael Bailey, Ph.D., has been named administrator of North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora.

Bailey has more than 23 years experience managing large health care organizations, systems, data programs and staff. He joined the NMMC staff on Jan. 31 and spent his first two weeks meeting key leaders throughout the health care organization before officially starting in Eupora. Bailey replaces Harold Whitaker who retired Feb. 25 after 33 years at the Eupora hospital.

Before moving to Eupora, he served as chief financial officer and director of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid’s Office of Finance and Administration from March 1999-December 2004. There he was responsible for Medicaid’s divisions of accounting, budget, purchasing, payroll and business services.

From 1997-1999 Bailey served as administrator/chief executive officer at Millcreek Children’s Behavioral Health Center in Magee, a long-term behavioral health care facility with approximately 500 employees.

A native of D’Lo near Jackson, Bailey holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Belhaven College. He completed the advanced respiratory therapy program at the University of Chicago Hospital and Clinics, and is a registered respiratory therapist. He holds a diploma in health services administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Bailey, 46, earned both his master’s and doctoral degrees in business administration and is a Mississippi licensed nursing home administrator.

He is joined in Eupora by Theresa, his wife of 21 years. His daughter Brandy is a radiologic technologist in Monroe, La., and the mother of their 1-year-old grandson, Benton.

Bailey’s hobbies are Harley-Davidson motorcycle riding, watching LSU and New Orleans Saints football, and “just hanging out around the house” with Theresa.

The Baileys are currently searching for a home in the Eupora area and will be relocating from Ridgeland.

Regarding his new responsibility, Bailey states, “I am very excited and honored to have been selected for this position. NMMC is one of the most respected health care systems in the U.S., and the city of Eupora reminds me a lot of my hometown.”