VALDOSTA, GA – The chairman of AAHomecare feels your pain. As president of Barnes Healthcare Services, Valdosta, Ga, he knows the daily challenges faced by providers, because he deals with them every day.
After working as a registered nurse and a paramedic in the early 1990s, Steedley got a call from the owner of Barnes in 1995. Eighteen years later he is still at the company that has since expanded to 14 locations in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.
Far from sitting on the sidelines, he decided to get involved with AAHomecare in an attempt to preserve patient care and stand up for the industry. “I had an opportunity to be around some of the past chairmen at some of the committees at Medtrade,” says Steedley who serves as president at Barnes. “I was watching from afar the dedication, determination, and frustration. I have a strong sense that we are doing the right things fairly, honestly, and providing a service that is critical.”
Despite a difficult year, Steedley is determined to continue fighting for the industry. “I still feel convinced we are going to win,” he enthuses. “There is a growing sense on Capitol Hill that momentum is picking up. They see the serious flaws in competitive bidding. I really believe over the next 18 to 24 months, we are going to get some relief here from competitive bidding and the audits.”
Between his job, family, and AAHomecare, there is not a lot of time to do other things, but dropping a fishing line about 200 feet down in the ocean is a passion he tries to indulge whenever he can. “I like to deep sea fish in the gulf of Mexico,” says Steedley. “I also caught some nice sail fish and a marlin off of Costa Rica, and off the coast of Mexico.”