August 16, 2021
As announced on August 6, Holly Carmichael is stepping up as the new Chief Executive Officer of GT Independence. She’s taking over for her brother-in-law, John Carmichael, who will be focusing on strategic partnerships as president of GT.
In her new role, Holly’s goal is to expand access to self-direction by building on John’s foundational work. This means taking the high levels of service and support for all participants and caregivers even higher. To make this goal a reality, Holly is growing the executive team with two new members. Megan Owen joins as Chief Operating Officer and Jeremy Gump as Chief Administrative Officer.
Megan and Jeremy join Patrick Hoelscher, Chief Information Officer, and Michael Murray, Chief Relationship Officer. Together, the team plans to continue growing GT Independence, which currently serves more than 22,000 people in 12 states.
“If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that providing home- and community-based services are more important than ever. This is especially true for people with disabilities and those who are aging.
As we step into a new chapter, I couldn’t be more thrilled to announce the appointment of three well-deserving individuals. Megan and Jeremy are all incredible contributors to the team. I know their expertise will bring self-direction to more people than ever before.”
– Holly Carmichael
Meet Megan Owen. Chief Operating Officer.
With Holly stepping into the role of CEO, Megan Owen is taking over as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for GT Independence.
Megan has worked alongside Holly for 10 years and has extensive experience in operations. As COO, Megan now leads a team of 300+ employees. She and her staff manage more than 150 self-direction programs funded by Medicaid. They work with programs in all states where GT operates, where her team reviews eligibility, processes claims, and tracks utilization.
Megan is tireless when it comes to complying with contracts and programs, solving operational challenges for GT’s partners, and removing barriers for people who self-direct.
“Since joining GT a decade ago, I have worked to ensure program compliance and solve operational challenges. All with the aim of removing barriers for people who choose to self-direct. As COO, I will focus on ensuring that GT provides the highest quality services while strongly advocating for people of all ages and abilities.”
– Megan Owen
Meet Jeremy Gump. Chief Administrative Officer.
Jeremy Gump will be GT’s first Chief Administrative Officer. In the new role, he will be responsible for managing the accounting, finance, compliance, quality, facilities, legal, and personnel departments. He’ll also be providing deep regulatory, financial reporting, and compliance expertise.
Jeremy has extensive experience in healthcare and law. He has a Certificate in Health Law and Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He also is the President of the Sturgis Hospital Board and the interim-Chief Executive Officer of the hospital.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to share my healthcare expertise with GT and to help those seeking to self-direct their care.
For many, navigating the necessary paperwork to start self-direction seems daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. Here at GT, we combine our person-first approach and intuitive technology with our extensive healthcare knowledge to inform how we train our teams.”
– Jeremy Gump
Moving GT’s Mission Forward
Megan and Jeremy join Michael Murray and Patrick Hoelscher on the team. Along with Holly, this five-person powerhouse of a team will live out GT’s values of self-determination, professionalism, integrity, community, excellence, and respect. All with a single goal: to help everyone live a life of their choosing, regardless of age or ability.