Bill Graham / The Meridian StarDenton Farr is this The Meridian Star Readers Choice Man of the Year for 2020. 

Denton Farr is this The Meridian Star Readers Choice Man of the Year for 2020.

Farr is vice president of operations at Anderson Regional Health System. He graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor of arts in communication and from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a master of business administration and a master of science in health administration.

Outside of work, Farr serves on the board of The Boys and Girls Club of East Mississippi.

He and his wife, Trinity, are the proud parents of Landon, 22, Paxton, 22, Will, 22, Karson, 19, and Hannah, 19. They attend Collinsville First Baptist Church, where Farr serves as a deacon, a Sunday School teacher and a member of the Missions Team.

The Meridian Star posted a few questions to him in a recent interview:

How do you feel about receiving the Readers Choice Award?

There are so many outstanding men and women who serve Meridian and Lauderdale County, so I feel humbled even to be considered, and even more so to be chosen for this award.

Serving in a leadership role in a hospital offers me the opportunity to work with incredibly talented, intelligent, bright and awesome people. Honestly, the staff at Anderson Hospital – the directors, the nurses, the technologists, the clinicians, the physicians, the support personnel…those are the men and women who truly deserve to be honored with this award. When I think about the leadership and staff at the Boys & Girls Club who do such an excellent job serving our kids in a challenging world, those are the men and women who genuinely deserve to be honored with this award. Our ministers at Collinsville First Baptist Church, who have faced unprecedented obstacles shepherding the church under cultural cataclysm, truly deserve to be honored with this award. 

I am so proud to represent them all.

What led you into your career?

Healthcare is in my DNA; it runs through my blood. My dad is a retired, very successful hospital executive, and he is my mentor. My great-grandfather, grandfather, grandmother, uncles, aunts, sisters, and cousins have served in health care as hospital executives, physicians, nurses, technologists, and philanthropists. My wife and her family have careers in health care. We are so proud that our daughters are pursuing health care careers. Karson is presently in her first year of nursing school, and Hannah is pursuing a career in radiology sciences.

I contemplated and delved into other career choices at a young age, but God called me into health care. Health care is a noble profession where we have a great opportunity, responsibility, and accountability to serve others in so many unique ways.

To what do you attribute your success?

I honestly don’t see myself as being successful. Every day, I wake up trying and hoping to serve our awesome living God to the best of my abilities with the gifts that He has blessed me with. I strive to emulate my king, Lord, and Majesty Jesus Christ. Though I can’t live up to Jesus’ standards, His standards and principles are my goals. Through God’s grace and mercy and the sacrifice of His son Jesus, I’m forgiven and saved. I get the opportunity to wake up each day to serve Him once again. 

When I stand before God in heaven, my rewards will not be determined by how impressive my work was by human standards, but by how obedient I am to what He calls me to do.

I hope and strive to be God’s man, In God’s place, doing God’s work, in God’s way, in God’s time.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

It’s the people I enjoy the most. Anderson employees inspire me every day.

What we do is flat out tough, grinding work. Providing healthcare to our community never gets any easier, which is an understatement given everything surrounding the whole COVID-19 epidemic. This year has been one of the most trying times in the history of healthcare. Anderson employees and physicians have stood firm, upright and bold in the face of indescribable adversity.

Our reward is the gift of giving ourselves to people in their greatest time of need, weakness, and vulnerability.  While it is hard work, it’s also very gratifying work. I also work with incredible directors who lead every day in a rough and dynamic environment. Our directors are the backbone of our leadership. … What they do is so very important. What all of our staff does is vitally important. My job is to lead and serve our staff, so they can better serve our patients. Every day, I get the opportunity to give our team everything I’ve got, and I can assure you that our team provides our patients with everything they have also. Our goal is to make life better for people. We are people serving people. It is a people business, and it’s all about relationships.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I enjoy spending time with family, sporting events, watching movies, playing golf, snow skiing, and studying God’s Word in Bible scripture.

What do you see in your future?

Eternity – I’m trying to live with eternity in mind. My job is to serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as He wills it. Jesus is my way, my truth, and my life, so I need to serve Him in His way, and share His truth with the world, and live my life knowing that I will be with Him in Heaven forever to eternity. 

What does a typical day look like for you?

Honestly, there is not a typical day as a hospital executive. The only thing that is typical in health care is change itself. .. We work with over 1,400 employees, about 200 physicians, hundreds of vendors, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and the state and federal governments. We are open 24/7, 365 days a year in a facility spanning roughly two million square feet. We are pretty much self-sufficient and operate much like a small town. We open ourselves to serve the entire public and reach out to serve our markets as far away as possible. That is what makes the work so challenging and also what makes the job so special and rewarding. 

If you could say something to the people of Meridian and Lauderdale County, what would it be?

If we will see each other through the eyes of Jesus Christ and follow Jesus’ second greatest command – to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, then our great community will be successful no matter what.

What do you like most about Meridian and Lauderdale County?

In my opinion, the heart of Meridian and Lauderdale County is its wonderful people and its southern hospitality. I thrive on being around people, so this is the perfect place for me.

What is your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge is balancing time for responsibilities at the hospital with serving my church and my community involvement. I love Anderson Hospital, and I love Collinsville First Baptist Church, and I love my Boys & Girls Club. I am incredibly blessed to have a spectacular wife and a wonderful family that understand and support all the things I’m called to do. I can’t do what I do without them.

Describe yourself in one word

Compassionate – I try very hard to be passionate about being compassionate in everything I do.