Ozarks Profile

Owner and president of CCO Inc., 2740 S. Glenstone, Ste. 202. CCO is a preferred health care provider network for partially and totally self-funded employee health plans covering Missouri, Arkansas and border states. CCO is also a state-certified managed health care organization for workers' compensation. Tummons began CCO Inc. with Larry Wassam in 1993 with the intention to contract with local doctors, hospitals and physical therapists to offer a workers' comp preferred-provider network for Springfield. Tummons became the sole owner in 1996, at which time the scope was changed to include the entire state of Missouri. In 1997, the PPO network was also offered for employee general health plans. CCO now encompasses a PPO network of more than 14,000 health care professionals for workers' compensation throughout Missouri and employee general health plans for Missouri and Arkansas. Tummons is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives and a former member of the Springfield Public Utilities Board.

Age: 55

No. of years in Springfield/area: 34

Education: Tummons graduated from Hillcrest High School in 1962 and received bachelor's degrees from Southwest Missouri State University in biology and chemistry, with minors in mathematics, German and education, in 1966. Tummons then went on to receive his PhD from Rutgers University in cardiopulmonary physiology in 1970.

Early career: "Jobs I had in high school were putting in home heating and cooling systems, painting barns, and making and transporting concrete by hand for small construction projects. During graduate school, I worked as a clerk for Great Eastern stores and did research under a U.S. Public Health Service fellowship," Tummons said. After receiving his doctoral degree, Tummons was hired by St. John's Regional Health Center to develop a cardiopulmonary laboratory and open-heart surgery program. Tummons left St. John's to become senior vice president of Mercy Villa in Fort Scott, Kan., in 1981, becoming its administrator in 1983. In 1986, Tummons joined the Methodist system of Peoria, Ill., and served as the CEO of Fairbury Hospital in Fairbury, Ill., until 1989, when he accepted the CEO position at Methodist Hospital of Kentucky in Pikeville. In 1992, Tummons and his family decided to return to Springfield, where he taught at SMSU and Southwest Baptist University until starting CCO Inc. in 1993.

Current projects: "CCO just completed agreements with some national insurers as their only Missouri workers' comp PPO network. As part of those agreements, we are now testing online computer access to our provider network by their claims managers. This should greatly improve access and utilization of our network. We are also expanding our general health PPO network through direct contracting and network agreements throughout the country."

Management philosophy: "I believe excellence in an individual and/or company can only be achieved if we care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think is practical, expect more than others think is possible and practice daily our faith more than others profess it."

Spare-time pursuits: Spending time with family.

Family data: Tummons has been married to Linda Christopher of Springfield for 33 years. Their children are Kimberli Weston and Tiffani Tummons, of Springfield, and Marti Barnes of Decatur, Ill.

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