Our Leadership

Jeremy Simmons, CEO, has served in this role at BCHS since October 2020.  In his role as CEO Jeremy is responsible for driving business growth by creating and implementing strategic short and long-term plans for the delivery of health services. Part of this is preparing and delivering updated financial and operational reports each month to the Governing Board of Directors as well as preparing the appropriate reports for Federal authorities and other funding entities. Before serving as CEO Jeremy served as the COO of BCHS from 2017-2019 where he focused heavily on the Medicaid and Medicare billing rates that changed as part of becoming a Look Alike. He was also responsible for preparing and submitting the organization's first UDS report as well as directing regular operations. During this time he also oversaw the Human Resources Department and developed the employee handbook. Before serving in this role he began at BCHS as the Director of Community Outreach and served in that role from 2016-2017. At this time he developed a comprehensive community outreach strategy for BCHS to improve performance and growth. During this time he was responsible for engaging donors and supporters about the ongoing work at BCHS.

Before joining the team at BCHS Jeremy served with the International non-governmental organization World Relief as a Regional Partnership Director from 2014-2016. In this role, he supported six US-based offices by creating tools for them to grow their fundraising bases. He also kept up-to-date on the wide range of development projects that World Relief led in twenty different countries, and brought on new donors and organizations to support these projects. He amasses and prepared a $440,000 financial portfolio of foundations and organizations across eight states.

Jeremy also worked with Microsoft and Samsung as a trainer, where he focused on driving sales across retail environments by ensuring the sales teams had the proper product knowledge and answers to give customers confidence in purchasing their products. These positions were held in Oklahoma City and Nashville from 2012-2014.

Jeremy graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Music degree and went on to pursue his Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary which he completed in 2012. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Global Maritime Ministries in New Orleans and represents BCHS as a board member at the Louisiana Primary Care Association and 504Healthnet.

Dr. Hannah Pounds, Chief Medical Officer, has planned, directed, and monitored the delivery of medical services at BCHS since the clinic’s inception in February, 2014. She is a native of New Orleans who graduated from the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans in 2010 and completed residency training in Internal Medicine in LSU's Baton Rouge residency program in 2013. Her training focused on primary care in Louisiana’s Charity Hospital System. Dr. Pounds’ unique time in New Orleans’ and Baton Rouge’s Charity Systems equipped her with cultural competency, sensitivity, and strategic skills for providing healthcare among the uninsured and underinsured, and passion to see primary healthcare deployed into the communities where underserved residents live - rather than requiring resource-limited patients to travel to  centralized medical education centers as their only option for primary healthcare.  

In addition to 14 years of primary care experience in medically underserved settings, Dr.  Pounds’ 9 years of professional experience in urgent care, hospital care, and in building the service delivery model at BCHS has prepared her to fulfill the duties of Chief Medical Officer.  Dr. Pounds has studied and implemented two electronic health records and led in the clinic’s Quality Improvement Quality Assessment Committee and Peer Review process, producing the skills needed to design, implement, report, and improve clinical measures.  

She has related to the Board of Directors regularly on clinical growth, productivity, quality, reimbursement strategies, and development and approval of strategies targeted to meet the specific needs of BCHS’ service area. Dr. Pounds has also developed relationships for referrals,  specialists, and ancillary services. She has experience drafting and implementing policies for the  provision of care and the assurance of the quality of care. Dr. Pounds has recruited, retained, and in coordination with the CEO and COO has developed the support system for 13 providers that is prepared to meet the needs of BCHS’ community as a Full FQHC.  

Dr. Pounds holds a B.S. in Biochemistry and Spanish from Samford University and she has led 3 international medical missions to Zimbabwe.

Teresa joined BCHS in 2019 and initially served in the role of Chief Nursing Officer overseeing daily clinic operations.  She graduated from LSU School of nursing and later received her Master’s Degree in Business and a Master’s Degree in Nursing with an emphasis in nursing leadership. 

Teresa has worked in the greater New Orleans Healthcare community and has demonstrated a passion for serving the medically underserved for 40 years.  She has served the city as a member of the New Orleans Police Department, as a paramedic, critical care nurse, Nurse Educator, Nursing Director, Hospital Administrator, and now as the Chief Operating Officer for BCHS.  During Hurricane Katrina, Teresa served as a hospital administrator. She was responsible for the evacuation of over 200 patients from a local healthcare facility and the reopening of that institution in the weeks following the storm.  She participated in her local church as well as a lead administrator in returning services to a devasted area resulting from Hurricane Katrina.  These experiences and different roles have equipped Teresa to help fulfill the mission of BCHS and assist in leading through the pandemic and beyond. 

As an integral part of the leadership team, Teresa oversees all facility operations and daily clinic organizational needs including facility updates, maintenance, security, employee education, and daily staffing as well as equipment and supply needs.  Additionally, Teresa and her team coordinate community outreach and marketing efforts for BCHS.  Teresa has implemented a nursing model of care at BCHS and recruited experienced nursing staff to elevate the level of care provided to patients seeking care.

Teresa is the President of Joey’s Hope NOLA, a private family-run charity, that was formed in memory of her son who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Afghanistan.  The purpose of the charity is to provide food and basic needs to underserved children in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area.  In 2022 the organization provided weekly backpack meals to over 300 children per week and distributed meals door-to-door during the pandemic.

Mr. Calhoun served as a financial consultant to BCHS in 2017 and became BCHS’ Chief Financial  Officer in January 2018.  

As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Calhoun has worked for numerous FQHCs as CFO and as  a Healthcare Consultant. 

Calhoun has also served more than 15 years as a HRSA Financial Consultant, where he has  performed hundreds of site reviews (PCERs, OPRs & OSVs) in 48 states. He has also served as a  UDS Reviewer for more than nine years, having completed hundreds of UDS Reviews for the  states of Florida, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma & New Mexico. 

Calhoun has a demonstrated history of providing technical assistance to CHCs and Look-Alikes,  and as a PCA conference presenter on financial matters. Additionally, he has served as a mentor to newly-placed or struggling CHC CFOs, including developing strategies & timelines for  mastering specific skills and/or tasks.

Calhoun has deep experience: 

1. Creating financial policies & procedures, including Sliding Fee 
2. Creating detailed budgeting and forecasting models 
3. Generating financial statements preparation and presentation, including dashboard reports 
4. Developing and tracking strategic plans 
5. Overseeing billing & collection activities & personnel 
6. Working with the Board of Directors concerning their roles & responsibilities 
7. Develop narrative reports to describe operational efficiency & performance in relation to  goals

Calhoun is a recognized national leader in community health center financial matters.