COLUMBIA, Tenn. — On June 24, the Maury Regional Health (MRH) Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution to honor Waymon L. Hickman, Sr. for more than 40 years of leadership service to MRH by naming the cardiac department at Maury Regional Medical Center the Waymon L. Hickman Center for Cardiovascular Excellence.
“Waymon Hickman has been a servant leader throughout his life and Maury Regional Health is among the countless organizations that have benefited from his commitment to making his community — and the entire region — a better place to live and work,” said MRH CEO Alan Watson. “It is a privilege to recognize him for his contributions to Maury Regional Health by naming the cardiovascular center in his honor.”
Mr. Hickman served as chairman of the board from 2001-2008 and as a member of the board from 1984-2008. In addition, he served as a member of the advisory board from 1967-1971, 1982-1984, 2009-2015 and was bestowed emeritus status in 2016, which he continues to hold to date. During his term on the board, he played an instrumental role in the growth of MRH’s services and facilities.
Among the key areas of growth supported by Mr. Hickman were heart services. Early in his term as chair, the organization expanded its offerings to include interventional procedures to open blocked vessels and implantable device procedures, including pacemakers and internal cardiac defibrillators.
Kevin Maquiling, M.D., the first interventional cardiologist to join the medical staff, praised Mr. Hickman, stating, “Under Mr. Hickman’s leadership as board chairman, he supported the organization’s strategic growth plan and served as a champion for expanding heart services in our region. Since 2000, we have served tens of thousands of patients who otherwise would not have been able to get the care they deserved without traveling great distances.”
Mr. Hickman helped to bolster MRH’s efforts to maintain modern facilities, utilize state-of-the-art technology and maintain a highly skilled medical and clinical staff, leading MRH through a period of significant growth. In addition to expanding heart services during Mr. Hickman’s leadership on the board, the organization also enhanced surgical services, cancer services, orthopedic services and childbirth and neonatal intensive care services. These contributions were honored when he was bestowed the Meritorious Service Award for Board Member from the Tennessee Hospital Association in 2007.
Mr. Hickman spent more than 60 years in the banking industry, serving as senior chairman and honorary director of First Farmers and Merchants Bank in Columbia. He was instrumental in First Farmers and Merchants Bank’s evolution from a local bank to a regional bank and served in leadership positions for the American Bankers Association, Tennessee Bankers Association, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Federal Reserve Sixth District Financial Institutions and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.
His community service throughout the years is extensive, having served in leadership roles for the University of Tennessee (UT) Board of Trustees, UT Alumni Association, Boy Scouts of America, King’s Daughters’ School, Columbia State Community College, Martin Methodist College, Rotary, Kiwanis Club, Maury County Chamber of Commerce, Maury County Mental Health Association and others.
“Mr. Hickman has devoted his life in service to others,” said Watson. “We are pleased to recognize the impact he has had on the growth of health care services in our region with this dedication.”