This FDHA Board is comprised of 10 individuals who have given tirelessly of their time and talents. Their commitment to excellence in governance and staff operations has demonstrated leadership and yielded exceptional results.
Bernard Taylor, Sr., is a retired partner at Alston & Bird, where he served both as chair of the firm’s Management Committee and the Products Liability Group. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers andthe American College of Civil Trial Mediators. He was a former Detroit police investigator involved in federal and state criminal investigations. As apracticing lawyer, for over 38 years, Mr. Taylor represented The Fulton DeKalb Hospital Authority and the Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation. Mr. Taylor currently serves as an arbitrator and mediator at Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services.
Dr. Basanta-Henry serves as Medical Director at Atlanta Maternal Fetal Medicine, an affiliate of Mednax National Medical Group. She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal Fetal Medicine. Her clinical interests include intrauterine growth restriction and endocrine disorders in pregnancy. She has published and presented research on the impact of chronic stress on the fetus. In addition to her commitment to patient care, Dr. Basanta-Henry has a passion for community service. She has served as a literacy and math tutor for children with Down’s Syndrome, been a member of the Junior League of Atlanta for many years and held various leadership positions, and currently serves as a liaison between the league and their multiple community partners. The league has recognized Dr. Basanta-Henry for her commitment to the women and children of Atlanta, including a nomination for the Member of the Year. In 2017, Dr Basanta-Henry was honored by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of Georgia’s outstanding “40 under 40.”
Rev. Eric Thomas is Pastor of Saint Peter Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta. He has extensive experience with government and non-profit community-based organizations, including serving as Senior Advisor for Faith-Based and Community Affairs for two Atlanta Mayors. In addition to serving on the Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation Board of Directors, he advises, counsels and directs numerous civic organizations, community agencies and youth councils.
Shannon Georgecink serves as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Atlanta Technical College and the Executive Director of the Atlanta Technical College Foundation. She previously worked as the executive director of Metropolitan Counseling Services for eight years, ensuring that quality, affordable mental health services are available to every adult needing care. She actively supports the Atlanta community, frequently serves on advisory councils and uses her passion for non-profit innovation, philanthropic investment, and volunteerism to fuel a career centered around strengthening health, education, and community services.
Alicia M. Ivey is a driven leader who has built a 30-year record of success. She currently serves as the President and CEO of Goldbergs Concessions Corporation, an airport concessions operating at one of the busiest airports in the world. Ms. Ivey’s commitment to the community is reflected in many community, political, and civic arenas. Among them are the Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation Board of Directors, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the C. T. Vivian Institute, the International Women’s Forum, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, and the Women’s Solidarity Society. She is also the founder of the Legacy Lady Foundation where she works diligently to highlight the significant achievements of women.
Bernie Tokarz is an operations manager with Cornerstone OnDemand Inc. and former director of public policy for the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. He was appointed by former Governor Nathan Deal to the Board of Directors of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority in 2015.
He serves on the Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation Board of Directors and is a former board member of the Atlanta Beltline Tax Allocation District.
Representative Bennett has been active in the DeKalb County community for nearly three decades, volunteering and working in various capacities for the good of all citizens and championing the causes of individuals and ideals she cares about. Representative Bennett was introduced to the unique political and governmental structure of DeKalb County as a member of the DeKalb Neighborhood Leadership Institute. She believes that commitment starts right in the neighborhood where you live, and she’s concerned about affecting lives positively. She is actively involved in organizations that render civic and community service. In addition to serving the constituents of District 94, she is both a physical therapist and small business owner.
Kathryn Flowers Glasco is a real estate professional with Chapman Hall Realtors. Her community involvement includes serving as Board Member for the Grady Memorial Hospital Corporation, board member for the Northwest Atlanta Pastors & Community Leaders Association, former Board Member of Sweet Auburn Works, former member of the Fulton County Personnel Board, former board member and past treasurer of the Metropolitan Atlanta Coalition of 100 Black Women, and former board member of Special Olympics Georgia.
Rick Shackelford is a retired partner of King & Spalding’s Atlanta office. While at King & Spalding, he served as the national Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Healthcare Practice Group. He is a past President of the American Health Lawyers Association and in 2013, was named by The Best Lawyers in America as the “Healthcare Lawyer of the Year” for Atlanta. During his 35-year career, he represented health systems, academic medical centers, pharmacy providers, pharmaceutical and medical companies, health plans, pharmacy benefits managers, managed care organizations and physician organizations in connection with government investigations and a wide variety of litigation and regulatory matters.
Mr. Shackelford is a frequent lecturer and writer on False Claims Act investigations and healthcare regulatory, fraud and abuse, compliance and healthcare litigation issues.
Sandra DeShields-Hightower is a retired senior leader with over 30 years of experience in human capital management, leadership development, and mediation in the federal government and private sector, including service with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Veterans Administration Hospital in Washington, D.C. , Houston, Tx and Atlanta, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Defense (DOD) and the Small Business Administration (SBA). While with CDC, she led the agency’s Laboratory Strategic Recruitment Initiative and staff recruitment for rapid emergency responses to worldwide Ebola and Zika outbreaks. Subsequently, CDC engaged Sandra to strategically bolster data scientists’ capacity in response to the COVID pandemic and aftermath. As an Associate Certified Coach, she is a member of the International Coaching Federation and a Georgia Registered Neutral, Certified Alternative Dispute Resolution Mediator. As the Principal of Continuum Services, LLC, she provides coaching services to her various clients globally. Sandra is a member of the Fulton County Arts Council, where she advocates for artistic expression to remain an integral part of the county’s cultural and educational initiatives. Sandra, also serves on the boards for the CDC Federal Credit Union, Clayton State University’s School of Health Care Management, and the Fortitude Educational Cultural Development Center, Inc. Additionally, Sandra is former Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for BridgeBuilders, Inc. and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
The FDHA is a quasi-governmental administrative agency committed to meeting the health and wellness needs of Fulton and DeKalb county residents, through partnership with Grady Health System.
Thank you for choosing Grady. For appointments, please call 404-616-1000 or visit Make An Appointment | Grady Health
The Grady pension department can be reached at 1-888-356-1928 or hr_benefits@gmh.edu
You can view our calendar of upcoming events including Board Meetings here.
While the FDHA does not offer housing or housing assistance, please contact Atlanta Housing at 404-892-4700 for information on affordable housing resources.
Learn more about our Community Health Workers here.
The Lease Transfer Agreement clearly states The FDHA’s responsibility for ensuring that all facilities currently operated by Grady are properly maintained and operated. This mandate goes beyond functioning as a landlord, but rather speaks to an expected standard of care for all. The FDHA and Grady must work collaboratively to ensure that all Grady facilities go beyond the minimum standard of “fit for use” so that the quality of Grady facilities is consistent with that of any other high-functioning hospitals.
The most recent pandemic brought gaping healthcare disparities to light. As Georgia’s larg- est safety net hospital (and only safety net hospital in Metro Atlanta due to the closure of Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center), Grady continues to see increased service demands. Often, the medically indigent and underserved use the emergency room for primary care services. Issues like housing insecurity and poverty place additional strain on the Grady Health System, particularly when other factors (outside of the hospital walls) inform one’s overall wellbeing. As Grady continues to seek ways to improve health outcomes in the community, The FDHA is tasked with identifying innovative ways to support Grady’s efforts and broaden its reach into targeted sectors of the community. This pillar also speaks to The FDHA’s efforts to work collaboratively through grantmaking with organizations whose mission, vision, and work align with The FDHA’s priorities and goals. Through structured strategic partnerships, focused and aligned grant making, and ongoing community engagement, The FDHA will assume a leadership role in the health ecosystem.
There are many stakeholders within the Fulton/DeKalb health ecosystem. Stakeholders can be characterizedas individuals, groups, or organizations whose efforts either inform healthcare outcomes or are impacted by healthcare outcomes. Grady remains The FDHA’s most important partner in this effort and a key stakeholder in the health ecosystem. As the daily operators of all of Grady’s health facilities, hundreds of thousands of patients per year (more than 700,000) are impacted. Maintaining consistent communication and collaboration with Grady’s Executive Leadership Team and staff is central to the success of The FDHA.
Similarly, The FDHA’s alignment and support of Grady’s population health and community engagement efforts are invaluable. As a grantor, The FDHA has an extensive network of community-based partners that work daily to provide direct services and/or support various health priorities. Many of these organizations provide services directly related to social determinants of health (i.e., housing, education, transportation, etc.) thereby adding value to the continuum of care. As The FDHA seeks to embrace a more prominent role as a convener, organizer, and facilitator in the health ecosystem, engaging stakeholders with purpose and intentionality becomes increasingly important.
The FDHA’s obligations, relative to its role as owners of the facilities operated by Grady and stewards of county resources entrusted to Grady, require the requisite skills of staff to execute key administrative and regulatory functions. Establishing and maintaining a staffing model that adequately responds to the needs of the agency is vital. Of equal importance is the establishment and maintenance of high-functioning financial management systems and general operations controls. Critical front and back-office functions should be insulated from staff turnover or shifts in organizational priorities. The provision of ongoing staff development opportunities will ensure that team members stay abreast of industry standards, best practices, and leading-edge opportunities. In addition, the curation and maintenance of financial management best practices ensure organizational accountability and responsiveness.