Our Team
WHO IS MID SOUTH REHAB?
Mid South is made of an incredible network of people. Professionals in the therapy industry are assisted by Directors of Rehabilitation, Regional Clinical Directors, and an Employee Support Center Staff. As with any company, people truly make it grow, innovate, and sustain.
Meet the people of Mid South.
Steven Cole
CEO + Founder
As President and CEO of Mid South, Steven oversees the strategic management and direction of the company. He founded Mid South and has served as CEO since 1996. Steven values faith, family, and work, which is why the culture of Mid South largely reflects these themes. Throughout the years, Steven has established clinical benchmarks to ensure clinical pathways are established to improve patient outcomes. Steven serves as a Managing Partner of Trilogy Revenue Cycle. He is also involved with numerous nationally-recognized healthcare associations.
Steven and his team at the Employee Support Center also work with national healthcare lobbyists to help shape the legislation that affects the rehab industry. In his free time, Steven enjoys spending time with his family, hunting, fishing, and exercising. He is a firm believer that “you reap what you sow.”
Mark Buckley, DPT
VP of Clinical Operations Mid South Rehabilitation
Mark graduated with a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in St. Augustine, FL, in December 2003. He earned academic distinctions that included graduating with High Honors, and he received the Ray M. Patterson Award for Scholastic Achievement and the Stanley V. Paris and Cathrine E. Patla Award for Excellence in Manual Therapy. Professionally, Mark has been a licensed Physical Therapist for 20 years and is currently licensed as a Physical Therapist in MS.
His professional experience includes serving in rehabilitation leadership and management positions for more than 15 years in for-profit and non-profit organizations and health systems. His experiential knowledge spans the complete continuum of patient care and management from Hospitals to Skilled Nursing Facilities, Outpatient Clinics, Home Health, and virtually every rehabilitation setting in between.
Mark has served in his current role as VP of Clinical Operations for Mid South Rehabilitation for over 10 years, playing an integral role in the hypergrowth of the company, which has increased net revenue by 156%, facility partnerships by 75%, and expanded from 1 state to 4 states of service during this time. Mark also served as the Regional Coordinator for the National Association of Rehabilitation Providers and Agencies for the Southeastern United States for more than 3-years and was a member of the inaugural Casamba EMR Advisory Board. He is a member of the Advisory Committee for the William Carey University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and the APTA. Mark has also served as a keynote speaker at the Mississippi Independent Nursing Home Convention, providing training and education to owners and operators transitioning into the Patient-Driven Payment Model.
Thomas Fuller
VP of Finance
Thomas received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Mississippi State University, and he previously worked as an Assistant CFO for a large, publicly traded hospital organization.
He joined the Mid South team in October of 2018. Thomas oversees all financial operations and analysis for the company. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, hunting, cycling, watching Mississippi State sports, and spending time with his wife and daughter.
Dan Ridley
Company Culture Councilor
Dan Ridley is a leadership trainer and consultant. He received an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Tennessee. He received a Master's degree in English/Teaching from Bethel University and then a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from the University of Memphis. Dan spent ten years working in the counseling field specializing in establishing and serving Employee Assistance Programs.
Dan later became a college professor teaching English, advanced Psychology, and Group Dynamics courses. Dan’s training and consulting background extends to more than 20 years of working with large corporations across the country. This includes many years of consulting in the Healthcare field.
At Mid South, Dan works to promote a positive culture and enhance employee satisfaction and retention.
Dan has been married to his wife, Sheila, for 36 years. They have one daughter, Katelyn, who is a dental surgeon. His hobbies include golfing and grilling.
Regena Cooper
VP of HR
Regena is a seasoned HR professional with over 25 years of executive-level HR experience. Regena graduated from Central State University in Edmond, OK, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and two minor degrees, Psychology and Military Science. Regena obtained her Master’s Degree in Behavioral Science at Cameron University, Lawton, OK.
Regena oversees, assists, and grows our family of employee partners ethically and responsibly through the recruitment, selection, and retention of well-trained healthcare professionals. She is deeply committed to helping others and understands the importance of servant leadership.
Regena lives in Brandon, MS, with her husband Barry, and daughter Anyah.
Charlean Williams
OTR/L, CHC, RAC-CT
VP HIM & Compliance
Charlean received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Alcorn State University and later attended UMMC for occupational therapy school. She received several honors in both programs, including the Clinical Award of Excellence from UMMC. Charlean is continuing her education at UMMC in the Health Information Management Program.
Charlean joined Mid South in East MS in September of 2004 as a staff OT, and since then, she has transitioned into many roles that have prepared her for her current leadership role in compliance. Charlean has served in this capacity since 2016. Charlean works closely with the finance and operations teams for compliance with regulations to ensure the best service to our strategic partner facilities as well as the patients we serve. She is committed to keeping Mid South updated with the ever-changing federal and state laws regarding our industry. Charlean is certified in healthcare compliance (CHC) and resident assessment coordinator-certified (RAC-CT). She is an active member of NARA and currently serves as a leader for the NARA Compliance Special Interest Group.
When she is not busy with healthcare, Charlean is an active member of Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church and the local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She also enjoys watching football, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Jennifer Mitchell
Controller
With an accounting degree from Mississippi College, Jennifer is a CPA with 20 years of experience including public accounting, telecommunications and healthcare. She was most recently employed 13 years as Controller for the managing company of a large local healthcare clinic system and gained a financial healthcare certification (CHFP) in 2018. In May of 2019 she joined the Mid South team as Controller. Jennifer oversees daily cash management, accounting operations, preparation of company financial statements and provides support for the VP of Finance. She is a native of Brandon, and her hobbies include cycling and cooking.
Debbie Chew
Executive Administrative Assistant
Debbie was born in Smyrna, TN, but lived all over the country as her father served our nation in the U.S. Air Force. Debbie moved to North Mississippi in 1974 and has considered the Hospitality State home since then. She attended Mississippi State University and Mississippi University for Women. Debbie lived in the Mississippi Delta for ten years and still maintains wonderful friendships from there. Debbie started her career by closing real estate loans in the banking industry. Staying with real estate closings, she moved to the legal field and worked as a legal assistant. She has worked in Human Resources as an executive assistant and as an office manager. When Debbie is not working, she loves painting, household renovation, working her land in the country, and gym time.
Felicia Murrah, MS, CCC-SLP Regional Clinical Director-South MS
Felicia Murrah is a Regional Clinical Director in South Mississippi for Mid South Rehab Services, Inc. Felicia gained her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL. She later became a non-traditional student and achieved her Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology from Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, Mississippi. Along with being a treating therapist, Felicia has served as either a Director of Rehab Services, Area Director of Rehab, or Regional Clinical Director for the past 20 years in a variety of health care settings, including skilled nursing, acute care hospital, assisted living, and personal care/retirement communities. She has spent years cultivating and managing day-to-day operations of therapy programs, ensuring the highest quality of patient care. Felicia has developed clinical programs and new processes for skilled documentation while working closely with administrators and patient families. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, decorating, watching sports, and spending time with her family.
Kim Rayburn Ouzts
CCC-SLP; Regional Clinical Director of Central MS
Kim Rayburn Ouzts received her bachelor's degree in liberal arts from the University of Mississippi, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Biology and Spanish. She continued her education at Ole Miss, where she was awarded her Master of Science in Communicative Disorders. Kim has worked as a Speech Language Pathologist since 1990. She has excelled in a variety of settings, including a school for hearing and language-impaired children, outpatient clinics, a hospital rehabilitation center, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and non-skilled nursing facilities. Kim has served in a management position since 1994, where she has been honored with several awards, including Manager of the Year and Employee of the Quarter. She began working with Mid South Rehab Services in 2004 as a Regional Clinical Director, where she has been employed for the last 19 years. Kim serves as a member of the Friends of MS State Hospital and as a member and officer of the Jackson Metro Chi Omega Alumnae Board. She is also a member of the High Noon Ladies Luncheon Club. In her free time, Kim enjoys spending time with her family and four rescue dogs, painting, and decorating homes.
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Karen Leflore
OTR/L; Regional Clinical Director of South MS
Karen received her degree as an occupational therapist from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2004. Since becoming an OT, Karen gained experience in a variety of clinical settings including skilled nursing, inpatient, outpatient, and schools. She began her career with Mid South Rehab Services in 2012 at Magee General Hospital as a staff occupational therapist before transitioning to the Director of Rehab role there. In 2016, she was promoted to the Regional Clinical Director over the South MS Region.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Charles (Teddy), and their 3 children, Bree, Zane, and Londyn. She also enjoys attending and watching sporting events, cooking, and gardening.
Paul Evans, DPT
Regional Clinical Director of Tennessee Region
Paul Evans, DPT, graduated with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from UT Chattanooga in 2004. Since then, he has served in a variety of healthcare settings including outpatient, inpatient, and skilled nursing. Paul's practice focus over the years has primarily fallen into stroke rehab, spinal cord injury, and geriatrics. Paul's leadership skills continued to make him stand out over the years as he served as DOR at a skilled nursing facility, managed an outpatient clinic, and then eventually took on his role with Mid South as a Director of Rehab. Over the last 7 years with Mid South, Paul has shown significant strengths in his role as a therapist, producing clinical outcomes and optimal results. However, his leadership skills and passion for conquering new challenges and bettering his colleagues and patients are what truly make him the perfect fit as RCD of Tennessee. Paul has been married to Claire Evans for 17 years, and they have two precious daughters, Olivia (14) and Branton (10).
JR Burnett, DPT
Regional Clinical Director of North Mississippi
John Robert Burnett, DPT, grew up in Port Gibson, Mississippi. He graduated from St. Aloysius High School in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He attended Millsaps College for his undergraduate education where he received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration magna cum laude and lettered in football. After graduation, JR attended UMMC in Jackson, MS, and received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree. When he graduated from the program in 2014, JR immediately took a job with Mid South Rehab Services, Inc. as a physical therapist for our strategic partner, Magee General Hospital, where he achieved FCE, ergonomics, and pre-work screen specializations to complement his outpatient specialties. After a year of service in Magee, JR was promoted to Director of Rehab at 360 Total Rehab in Flowood, MS. In his time at 360, JR obtained certification in myofascial trigger point dry needling. Five years later, JR was promoted again, this time as a Regional Clinical Director for Mid South’s North Mississippi Region.
JR enjoys spending time with his wife of 11 years, Kelsey, and their four children - Swayze, Isaac, Rowan, and Blair. In his free time, JR enjoys discipling men, playing sports, exercising, hunting, and fishing. Above all, he is a follower of Jesus, and he credits Him with all the glory."
CHECK OUT OUR DEPARTMENTS
At Mid South we support our partners with an array of services to fully surround them with the resources they need to succeed. Click the button below to learn more about our Clinical Services, Accounting & Finance, Health Information Management, Marketing, Human Resources, and Information Technology Departments.